Haralambos " Bobby" Smyrniotis (born April 24, 1979) is a Canadian soccer coach and former player who works as head coach of Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League. Smyrniotis is the co-founder of the Sigma FC soccer academy based in Mississauga.
Playing career
Smyrniotis played for the College of Charleston and
York University.
Coaching career
Early career
In 2003 and 2004, Smyrniotis was a coach in the academy system of Olympiacos.
He co-founded
Sigma FC, and was the team's head coach from 2005 to 2018.
Forge FC
2019 season
On October 1, 2018, Smyrniotis was announced as the first head coach and technical director of Canadian Premier League club
Forge FC.
During the 2019 season, Forge finished in second place during the Spring and Fall Seasons, both times behind
Cavalry FC.
He became the first coach to win the Canadian Premier League when Forge defeated Cavalry FC in the 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals.
Also during the 2019 season, Forge were knocked out in the second qualifying round of the Canadian Championship.
They also played in the CONCACAF League where they were knocked out in the Round of 16.
2020–present
Smyrniotis returned to coach Forge FC for the 2020 season. The 2020 Canadian Premier League season was played in three rounds.
Forge qualified for the next round after finishing the first round in third place
then qualified for the championship match after finishing in first place in the second round.
Forge repeated as league champions after a 2–0 win in the Championship final against HFX Wanderers.
In the 2021 CONCACAF League, Smyrniotis guided Forge FC to the semi-finals, qualifying the club for the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in its history.
In May 2023, Smyrniotis signed a four-year contract extension with Forge. He also became the club's sporting director in addition to his role as head coach.
Coaching statistics
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| September 30, 2018
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| present
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Personal life
Born in
Canada, Smyrniotis is of
Greeks descent.
He received a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology & Health Science from
York University and a Master of Science degree in Sports Management from the University of Louisville.
Bobby and his brother Costa Smyrniotis were both co-founders of Sigma FC. The brothers also worked together at Forge FC where Costa was the director of football until 2023.
Honours
Coach
Forge FC
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Canadian Premier League: 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
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Canadian Premier League regular season: 2021, 2024
Further reading
