FC Cincinnati made their return to full-team training on Monday. They'll follow that Tuesday by welcoming their new full-time head coach.
Jaap Stam will lead his first training session as Cincy's new manager on Tuesday, club sporting director Gerard Nijkamp said, after the former Dutch World Cup defender was hired last month.
Stam is already in the region, but has been self isolating while waiting on the results of COVID-19 testing before he's cleared to join the club.
"I’m excited about it — I think the whole FCC family is excited about it," Nijkamp said after club training on Monday. "But the most excited person is Jaap Stam himself, and he cannot wait. So I have to calm down him a little bit, to stay in his room, to follow the protocols on that."
Yoann Damet has been in his second stint as interim manager following the preseason resignation of Ron Jans. Nijkamp doesn't expect the fundamentals of the club's approach to the game to change all that much with Stam's arrival, but he believes it will inject some energy.
"The tactical part will be also important to get an understanding about the way he wants to play with the team," Nijkamp said. "(It) will be not a revolution on that, but new coach, new ideas, new influence, new approach. So that’s all the things that’s all the things that is needed for the next two weeks."
FC Cincy will return to play in Group E of the MLS is Back Tournament next month, where they will face Hell is Real Derby rivals Columbus Crew SC as well as Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls.
