Despite abysmal record, CF Montréal sticking with developmental philosophy
By La Presse Canadienne
CF Montréal's development project is here to stay, and the results of the 2025 season won't change a thing.
Fans who turned out at Saputo Stadium last Saturday night saw a number of star players. The problem was, they were all wearing Los Angeles FC jerseys. One of them, Olivier Giroud, made the difference and tied the game in the second half, only five minutes after coming on as a substitute.
That's the kind of tangible impact a player earning US$2.8 million — roughly two-thirds of the bleu-blanc-noir's payroll — can have.
Nevertheless, that's not what's going to convince CF Montréal president and CEO Gabriel Gervais to go on a spending spree. If a star player were to arrive in town, he would have to fit in very well with the club's philosophy without undermining youth development.
'If there's a concrete opportunity that doesn't sacrifice everything else, and it's a veteran who can help drive progress, we'll take it,' Gervais said on Monday at a news conference that took stock of the team's very difficult start to the season. I'm not going to hide from you, either; we're going to bank on investments from the under-22s, like Hennadii Synchuk.'
Pulling out the chequebook for Giroud, or even Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and company would not be viable for the Montreal market, not least because ticket prices could double, Gervais argued. In the meantime, fans will have to make do with watching those types of stars when they face off against CF Montréal.
And what to make of the strategy Gervais and senior management are betting on?
The objective is clear: Acquire young players, develop them and then sell them. And the wheel turns. If, in the meantime, the team can manage to qualify for the MLS playoffs, as it did last year, then that's a bonus. This season, that goal appears far out of reach.
Montreal's 1-9-5 record in MLS and defeat in the first leg of the Canadian Championship quarterfinals against Hamilton's Forge FC might have raised doubts, but Gervais insists the team's philosophy has not wavered.
The president did say, however, that the desire to win was still very strong within the organization and that introspection had been carried out on how to get there.
'We want to develop young players, have a local flavour, graduate players from the Academy, but we want to win,' he said.
With the Montrealers occupying second-to-last place in the overall MLS standings, fans are entitled to wonder whether the losing environment might be hindering the progression of the team's youngsters.
While he's not happy about the current situation, Gervais says the experience the organization's young players have had this season could serve to build character.
'It's possible to develop under any circumstances. We're in a difficult period, but our young players are going through it. If you always develop by winning, do you know how to get through the tougher times? Obviously, we'd like to be in a better situation, but every defeat is an opportunity to learn. Of course, when the collective is successful, it's easier for the personal project,' the president said.
In the short term, Gervais is optimistic he can field a competitive team and turn things around.
'There's still a lot of soccer to be played,' he noted. 'Anything can happen during the rest of the season; I talked about that last year, too, when we had very little chance of making the playoffs. The players, coaches and organization believe in it, and we're asking our fans to believe in it. There's the return leg of the Canadian Championship, too, and the League Cup is coming up. We're aware that we need to make changes to improve the team on the field.'
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