Coach Mauro Eustaquio returns to his Portuguese roots on York United pre-season trip

York United FC coach Mauro Eustaquio is shown at training June 8, 2024, at York Lions Stadium in Toronto in this handout image. Eustaquio and the team have been training in his hometown of Nazare, Portugal, ahead of the Canadian Premier League season. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-York United FC-Denys Rudenko *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Mauro Eustaquio went back to his roots for the first stage of York United FC’s training camp, taking the Canadian Premier League team to his hometown of Nazare, Portugal.

“It’s a beautiful place,” said the York coach, whose younger brother is Canadian star midfielder Stephen Eustaquio. “It’s a little hidden gem, to be honest with you. And it’s home. So it’s a nice feeling.”

Wanting his team to spend time in a place where the climate would permit two-a-day practices, Eustaquio looked to Europe.

Nazare, located on the coast 125 kilometres north of Lisbon, ticked the boxes. The beach alone looks worth the visit.

“We didn’t come here because it was my hometown or because it was Portugal. We came here because it did give us the opportunity to provide the players with the type of pre-season that we wanted,” Eustaquio said.

The team is scheduled to return Friday after 10 days in Portugal.

While Eustaquio says this trip is not about him, he allows it has given his players a chance to “really understand, at this point, where I’m from, why I’m the type of person that I am.”

“It was a bit by luck that we ended up here,” he added. “But the communication with the players has been extremely open. They’re asking questions. They really enjoy what they’re seeing. And it’s special to have your first pre-season as a head coach in your hometown.

“I think this is definitely one of the moments that will stick with me forever.”

The CPL side trained at the local Nazare club where the Eustaquio brothers began their youth career.

“A lot of good memories. I actually had the opportunity to play with my brother on the senior team, basically for six months before I left for Canada to play for (the now-defunct) Ottawa (Fury). At that point he was 16, turning 17,” said Eustaquio.

There are more painful memories, however.

The Eustaquios' mother, Esmeralda, died of brain cancer in April 2023. Father Armando died unexpectedly of a heart attack last May, just days before Mauro was named interim York coach.

The birth of Stephen’s daughter, Benedita, in early April gave the brothers something to celebrate amid the pain of family loss.

Born in Portugal, Eustaquio was two when his parents moved to Canada in search of a better life. Stephen was born two years later.

Their father was a fisherman, working on nearby Lake Erie, while their mother worked at a fish factory.

The brothers started playing soccer in Leamington, Ont., and kept playing when, after some 10 years in Canada, the family returned to Portugal to be back with friends and family.

Stephen now plays for FC Porto, some 220 kilometres north of Nazare.

Back home, York is slated to play closed-door pre-season friendlies against Ligue1 Quebec’s AS Laval on March 14, fellow CPL side Valour FC on March 21, and League1 Ontario’s Simcoe County Rovers on March 28

While in Portugal, York drew 2-2 with Sport Clube União Torreense with Adonijah Reid and Luke Singh scoring.

York opens the regular season April 6 at Vancouver FC,

The Toronto-based club finished fourth last season at 11-11-6, opening the playoffs with a 2-0 win over visiting Pacific FC before losing a penalty shootout at Atletico Ottawa on Oct. 27.

Eustaquio was elevated to head coach in November, succeeding Benjamin Mora, who left York after five months and 22 matches at the helm. The charismatic Mexican, a finalist for Canadian Premier League coach of the year, said he had been unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.

Eustaquio, who turned 32 in February, is the first former CPL player to become a head coach in the league. A Canadian youth international, he played for FC Edmonton and Cavalry FC until his playing career was cut short by injury.

York’s Mexican ownership group fired former Canadian international Martin Nash as coach in May. Eustaquio served as interim coach until Mora was put in charge.

As with most CPL clubs, there has been considerable turnover since last season with star attackers Mo Babouli and Brian Wright (both now at Forge FC) and goalkeeper Thomas Vincensini among those who have left.

Newcomers include goalkeeper Ivan Pavela (NK Dugopolje, Croatia), defenders Alexander Bergman (FC Nomme United, Estonia), Riley Ferrazzo (Halifax Wanderers) and Singh (Atletico Ottawa), midfielders Gabriel Bitar (Vancouver FC), Steffen Yeates (Pacific FC) and forwards Marsel Bibishkov (Juventus, Italy), Julian Altobelli (Toronto FC II), Massimo Ferrin (Halifax Wanderers) and Reid (Pacific FC).

“We do have a lot of new players but I think most importantly we have the players that we wanted,” said Eustaquio. “I’m extremely happy with the squad that we’ve put together.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press