Atlético Ottawa Signs Sergei Kozlovskiy to an Exceptional Young Talent Contract
This is the first time Ottawa has signed a player as an Exceptional Young Talent.
Sergei Kozlovskiy (16) was announced as the newest signing by Atlético Ottawa.
Kozlovskiy plays as a left-sided defender. He most recently spent time with CF Montréal’s youth academy, where he played for the U-15, U-17, and U-18 sides.
He was a MLS Next Cup Finalist in 2023 and went to Serie A side Bologna FC to train with their youth team in December 2024.
Kozlovskiy was called up to the U-20 Canadian national team when he was only 15. With the U-20 team, he has played two games and scored 1 goal. He has also featured for the U-15 and U-17 national teams.
“Sergei fits seamlessly with how we are looking to play this season,” said General Manager JD Ulanowski. “There was significant interest in him from other clubs, but we showed our project will give him the best chance to contribute in a competitive environment and offer a developmental pathway for further success in his career.”
“I’m really excited to sign my first professional contract here,” said Kozlovskiy. “I love the environment already, and I’m looking forward to playing in this league while continuing to develop my game”
Kozlovskiy was signed as an Exceptional Young Talent (EYT), which is a type of contract first introduced by the CPL in 2023. The players signed under the EYT will occupy roster spots 24 and 25 on the master roster list. The master roster is divided up by primary/senior roster, which takes up spots 1-23 and counts against the salary cap, while the developmental roster, which takes up spots 24-32, do not count against the salary cap. In order to be signed to this roster, a player must sign either an EYT, development contract, or be a U Sports player. The idea of the developmental roster is to incentivize teams to sign youth players to their squad but without the financial risk.
Kozlovskiy will be able to maintain his EYT status until his 21st birthday.
The current squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Nathan Ingham, Tristan Crampton
Defenders: Tyr Walker, Jonathan Grant, Amer Didić, Noah Abatneh, Loïc Cloutier, Brett Levis, Iker Moreno, Joaquim Coulanges, Sergei Kozlovskiy
Midfielders: Manny Aparicio, Aboubacar Sissoko, Noah Verhoeven, Gabriel Antinoro, Alberto Zapater, Juan 'Coque' Castro, Kevin Ortega
Forwards: Ballou Tabla, Kevin Santos, Sam Salter, David Rodríguez, Monty Patterson
The 2 CPL draft picks, Jason Hartill and Adam N'Goran, are with the team as well but have not yet been signed.
22/23 Primary Roster spots filled. 4/3 U21 Players. 7/7 International spots. 1/8 Developmental Roster Spots Filled
As of now Ottawa has maxed out their international roster spots and only has one spot left to fill in its senior roster.