Tissot: ‘I Want To Finish My Career In Ottawa’

It was no surprise when Atletico Ottawa confirmed it had re-signed veteran defender Maxim Tissot this week, with the 30-year-old having proved a crucial cog for the regular season champions throughout the 2022 season.

The Gatineau, Quebec-born defender’s return home saw him contribute three goals and four assists as Atletico Ottawa’s banner year saw them rise from worst-to-first. Tissot brought a winning mentality with him following his days at Forge, and had been keen to live and work closer to his family.

So much so, in fact, that he hopes to see out the remainder of his career in the nation’s capital.

“It’s clear that I want to finish my career in Ottawa,” Tissot told Le Droit. “I enjoyed contributing to our team’s success last year. The coaches have shown their confidence in me. I’m at home. I have experience. I play a lot. It’s clearly the perfect scenario for me to continue here.”

When the 30-year-old first entered Canadian Premier League pastures in 2020, he told us that he was as fit as he’d ever been after recovering from a serious knee injury. His two seasons in the hammer saw him reach the CPL Final twice, collecting a championship medal in 2020 and a runners-up after that.

His return to the capital city this year saw the 30-year-old prove that his legs still had plenty of miles left in them, with Tissot nearly doubling his appearances from 18 with Forge in 2021 to 31 with Atletico Ottawa this year.

“I’ve never played as much as I did last season. This past season was a highlight for me. I showed that I was able to stay healthy by playing every game.”

Tissot’s third season in the CPL saw him reach his third consecutive CPL Final, though his former side bested the regular season champions. The left-back was a consistent performer under Gonzalez, featuring in all but one possible match due to yellow card accumulation.

Atletico Ottawa’s first playoff run saw them knock out reigning league champions Pacific FC, with their regular season win seeing them earn hosting rights for the 2022 CPL Final. While Forge controlled the big day, Ottawa finished the season having turned plenty of heads.

“Nobody knew what to expect from us last year. After the season we just had, I think the expectations are higher now. The hype has grown around our club. I hope we keep it going and continue to grow soccer in the area,” adds Tissot.

While the 30-year-old has revealed that he’d like to retire with Atletico Ottawa, he also clarified that he hopes to keep playing until the ‘body and mind’ cannot – and that’s a date he hopes will go much further than 2023.

Tissot and the rest of the Atletico Ottawa squad are expected to join camp at the end of January, with the team set to continue its now-traditional preseason at the Atletico Madrid facilities in Spain.

The 2022 CPL regular season winners have confirmed twelve returning players for the upcoming season, with Tissot and goalkeeper Sean Melvin both earning option activations for the upcoming year.

Whatever happens after that remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Tissot – much like retired captain Drew Beckie – is keen to stay in the capital for the remainder of his playing career.

Source: Le Droit