Football: Webens Prinsimé, known as Itala, the Haitian who is trying to write history in the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol.
Webens Prinsimé known as Itala, the Haitian coach, took the reins of Atlético Vega Real on May 1, succeeding Edward Acevedo. His mission: to offer the club its first crown in the Dominican Football League (LDF). Since its creation in 2015, the LDF has been dominated by foreign coaches, and no Haitian has yet won this title. Prinsimé aspires to change that, marking a historic turning point for him and his team.
“It’s a big challenge because I know this club’s thirst for victory. They have never been champions and now all the players and the city can’t wait to see them become the monarchs of the league. But we have confidence in what we have and we are going to fight,” Prinsimé told Dominican newspaper Listín Diario.
In addition to this collective objective, Prinsimé aims for a personal accomplishment: becoming the first Haitian to triumph in LDF as a coach. “Everywhere you go, you seek to leave your mark. It is a team which, although it is very young, deserves to dream of a championship,” he added.
Since the creation of the LDF, only two Dominicans have been champions as coaches: Edward Acevedo of Cibao FC in 2018 and Ronald Batista of Universidad O&M Fútbol Club in 2020. The other victorious coaches are from Argentina, d Uruguay, Venezuela and Spain.
Prinsimé, nicknamed Itala in Haitian football circles, believes that leading a young team is a rewarding challenge. “Having a very young team means having more time for it, because in addition to going on the field to try to achieve victory day after day, you also have to be a kind of teacher, advisor, host,” he explained.
He admits that the inexperience of his players can be a disadvantage, but he prefers to work with young people who are eager to learn. “When you have a lot of young people, there is no ego, because no one is trying to be or believes themselves to be better than others, but everyone is pursuing the same goal, to learn and be better every day . »
Before joining Atlético Vega Real, Prinsimé was already in the Dominican Republic in 2022, managing Violette AC in the Concacaf club championship, where he faced Atlético Vega Real and Cibao FC.
Prinsimé has before him a double opportunity: to offer Vega Real its first championship title and to write a new page in the history of Haitian football in the LDF.
The Atlético Vega Real team, currently third in the Dominican championship with 23 points, is 9 points behind the leader, Cibao FC. Under the leadership of Itala, the team is currently one of six qualified for the play-offs and can aspire to win the championship in this crucial phase.
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