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The New York Cosmos have confirmed that Cosmos B will have a new man in charge for the 2016 season, introducing Fernando Barboto earlier this week as the NPSL champions' Head Coach. Barboto has plenty of experience at the NCAA level, and hopes to build on the job that Alecko Eskandarian did in 2015, when he guided the club to the NPSL title in their first year of existence.
"I hope to build on the foundation for this team that Alecko created. Joining this club is a great honor, and I can’t wait to get started coaching Cosmos B."
First team Head Coach Gio Savarese believes that Barboto will be a big addition as the club continues to build its new academy:
"Fernando’s work is in line with the mentality of the club. Having him lead our B team is another step in laying the foundation of our youth system, top to bottom."
Meanwhile, Alecko has confirmed that he'll be working exclusively with the first team this season:
My thoughts on why I decided to step down as @NYCosmosB head coach and a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported us: pic.twitter.com/mQyCJoZlVq
— Alecko Eskandarian (@alecko11) February 2, 2016
The club have probably been a bit lucky to keep Eskandarian around for as long as they have, as he seems destined to be for a head coaching role at some point in the very near future. For now, though, we'll enjoy watching him work with the Cosmos' first team, and wish Barboto the best of luck as he chases the club's second NPSL title.