Inter Toronto FC has appointed José Guadalupe Cruz as assistant First Team coach and director of sporting development, bringing extensive soccer experience to the Canadian Premier League club.
Cruz, known throughout Mexican football as “El Profe,” is set to work alongside head coach Mauro Eustáquio and the club’s First Team coaching staff to support the player development structure of Inter Toronto Football Club.
Cruz has managed several Liga MX clubs, including Atlante FC, which he guided to the Liga MX Apertura 2007 championship. In that same season, Cruz was named Liga MX Head Coach of the Year. The following year, Atlante won the 2008-09 Concacaf Champions League title under Cruz’s direction. In addition to Atlante, Cruz managed Puebla, the team he later won the Copa MX Clausura 2015 with.
Cruz also saw success in his time as a player, winning the 1993 Mexican league championship with Atlante. He’ll be reuniting with Inter Toronto’s general manager Jorge Villalpando, who played alongside Cruz on Jaguares de Chiapas from 2010-11.
“I’m very grateful to Inter Toronto for the opportunity to join this sporting project,” Cruz said, noting how impressed he was with the club’s potential, especially pertaining to Inter Toronto’s academy. “The objectives are clear and ambitious, and I’m excited to bring my experience, commitment and passion to help strengthen the First Team and continue developing the club’s young talent.”
Villalpando says Cruz’s experience will benefit both the club’s First Team and its younger players. “José brings a wealth of experience that will be valuable across our sporting structure,” Villalpando says. “His addition strengthens Mauro’s First Team staff while also giving us another experienced voice in the development of our young players.”
Cruz’s appointment comes as Inter Toronto continues to expand its player development pathway. Earlier this year, the club announced a six-team integrated structure connecting its youth teams to the First Team, including three Ontario Premier League squads and three academy teams.
The emphasis on youth development has already been reflected in Inter Toronto’s First Team selections this season. On Sept. 5, 18-year-old Ty Clarke, an academy product who had spent most of the season with the club’s Ontario Premier League side, made his first professional start against Forge FC.
The connection between the academy and First Team is central to Cruz’s new role, giving him responsibilities that extend beyond the team’s immediate results. With the club still chasing a playoff position, Inter Toronto will continue its push through the final weeks of the regular season. Currently standing at seventh, having been dealt a recent loss by the Halifax Wanderers on Sept. 20, the team has just over a month to finish strong.
