He Atlético Ottawaof the Canadian Premier League (CPL), officially announced this Wednesday “historic” hiring d'Ejeano and the former Zaragoza captain Alberto Zapater, who last May said goodbye to the team of his life, Real Zaragoza.

The Canadian professional league club, which is owned by Atlético de Madrid, said that Zapater arrives to play the rest of this season with the possibility of extending the contract until 2024.

Shortly after the announcement of the hiring of Zapater, who in addition to playing for Real Zaragoza He played for teams such as Genoa in the Italian Serie A, Sporting CP in the Portuguese Primeira Liga and Lokomotiv Moscow.of the Russian first division, the former captain of Zaragoza wore the striped shirt of Atlético Ottawa.

The CEO of Atlético Ottawa, Fernando Lopezsaid that Zapater's presence in the CPL and in the Canadian capital team will be transcendental.

“He is a symbol, an icon of what the 'Spanish brand' is and what Spanish football is that we are trying to import to Canada. Alberto is a legend and his resume speaks for itself “, » Lopez said.

“Bringing a player of his caliber into a league like Canadian Premier League, which has only five years of history, it is something that many expect and few imagine. “We managed to convince him and his family to come here and it will be an incredible experience for everyone,” added the Atlético Ottawa manager.

Zapater's signing for Atlético Ottawa has been described by Canadian soccer fans and commentators as the largest in CPL history.

“We brought him in because of the great person he is, because he believed in the project and because we sincerely believe he has football left in his legs. The combination of his experience, leadership and footballing quality can help the team win again, that's what we need.” Lopez explained.

Pending his full integration into the Canadian team, Zapater is expected to make his debut with Atlético Ottawa on July 8. The CPL transfer window opens on July 5.

López said the team wanted to give Zapater two weeks to adapt to the country and the characteristics of the CPL, whose matches are often played on artificial turf.

The coach of Atlético Ottawa, Carlos Gonzalez, He said the arrival of Zapater would be a big reinforcement for the team's midfield.

Also this Wednesday, Atlético Ottawa announced the signing of Swiss player Rubén del Campo, 23, from the Atlético de Madrid academy. Last season, Del Campo played for San Fernando in the Spanish third division.

Atlético Ottawa is committed to continuing to attract international players to make the team from the Canadian capital the benchmark in the CPL.

Spanish players Miguel Acosta Mateos and Diego Espejo de la Concepción are already active with the Canadian team. In addition, the technical team includes three other Spaniards: coach Carlos González and his assistants. David Galán and Borja Montero.

Currently, Atlético Ottawa occupies the penultimate place in the CPL, which is made up of eight teams.