Mauro Antunes Eustáquio (born 10 February 1993) is a Canadian soccer coach and former professional player who played as a midfielder. He is the head coach of Canadian Premier League club Inter Toronto FC.
Born in Portugal, he represented Canada at youth level.
Early life Eustáquio was born in Nazaré, Leiria District, and moved to Leamington, Ontario when he was 13 months old. He began playing youth soccer with Leamington Minor Soccer. He returned to Portugal at the age of 11, and spent time in the youth academies of Grupo Desportivo Os Nazarenos and U.D. Leiria.
Eustáquio started his senior career in 2012, with fourth division club Sporting Clube de Pombal.
Playing career Ottawa Fury On 20 December 2013, Eustáquio signed with North American Soccer League club Ottawa Fury FC. He made his debut on 2 August 2014 as a replacement starter for injured captain Richie Ryan in a 2–1 away loss against Minnesota United FC, and finished the season with eight appearances.
Eustáquio featured significantly the following campaign, playing 23 times across all competitions including twice in the team's run in the Soccer Bowl. He scored his first goal for them on 8 August 2015 in a 4–1 win over the Indy Eleven on 8 August 2015, earning a place on the league's Team of the Week; he added a second on 18 October, helping the hosts defeat the San Antonio Scorpions 1–0, and later in the year he agreed to a contract extension.
Eustáquio nearly went on loan to FC Edmonton during the 2016 season in exchange for Mallan Roberts, however the move fell through. In December, the Fury announced that the former would not return to the club as it was due to move to the United Soccer League.
FC Edmonton On 14 February 2017, Eustáquio joined FC Edmonton. On 24 November, after the club ceased operations, he left.
Penn FC In February 2018, Eustáquio signed with Penn FC of the USL. In June, he suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season.
Cavalry FC On 20 March 2019, Eustáquio moved to the Canadian Premier League after agreeing to a contract at Cavalry FC. He played ten league matches for the side in the inaugural campaign of the competition.
Caldas Eustáquio joined Caldas S.C. of the Portuguese third tier on 21 July 2020. He announced his retirement on 7 April 2021 at the age of 28.
Coaching career Immediately after his retirement, Eustáquio joined the staff of Calgary Foothills FC as development phase boys manager. In February 2022, he was named assistant at Canadian top-flight club York United FC.
Eustáquio was appointed interim head coach of York United on 21 May 2024 following the firing of Martin Nash, remaining in the role until Benjamín Mora's arrival in June; subsequently, he returned to his job as an assistant. In September, he was invited to join the Canada national team as assistant for a pair of friendlies.
In November 2024, York United announced Eustáquio as their new head coach for the 2025 season, becoming the youngest ever at the helm of a first division side in North America as well as the first former player in the league to earn such a position. Prior to the following campaign, the team was renamed Inter Toronto FC.
Personal life Eustáquio's younger brother, Stephen, is also a soccer player. A midfielder as well, he represented Portugal at under-21 level and the Canadian senior team.
Their mother, Esmeralda, died from brain cancer in April 2023, while their father Armando died of a heart attack one year later.
Career statistics
ClubLeagueSeasonLeaguePlayoffsNational CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsOttawa FuryNASL20148000——802015202201023220161700010180Total4522020492Ottawa Fury AcademyPLSQ201510——10FC EdmontonNASL20171810000181Penn FCUSL201870000070Cavalry FCCanadian Premier League20191000050150CaldasCampeonato de Portugal2020–211310010141Career total94420801044
Honours Ottawa Fury North American Soccer League: 2015 Fall Championship
References
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External links