CF Montreal faces potential relocation concerns after owner Joey Saputo announced plans to sell the Major League Soccer franchise.
Saputo revealed the decision during a press conference on Monday, speaking emotionally about initiating a structured sale process for the club, Ouest-France reported.
“Our preference is to find the right buyer here so that the club remains in Montreal,” Saputo told reporters, adding that he could not guarantee the team would stay in the Quebec metropolis.
Because MLS operates as a closed league, a franchise can move to another city. That structural reality has sparked immediate anxiety among politicians in Quebec, a province still smarting from the departure of the Montreal Expos baseball team to Washington in 2004.
Provincial and City Officials Respond to Club Sale
Provincial political figures have mobilized quickly in response to the sale announcement.
Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon pledged on Tuesday to review proposals from potential investors and refused to rule out a minor government stake to prevent the soccer club from leaving, according to Ouest-France.
“A responsible government cannot close the door before having looked at the projects in question,” Saint-Pierre Plamondon said.
City hall issued a statement emphasizing its own priorities for the organization.
“We want above all for the club to be able to rely on Quebec investors who care about its future and who want to see it continue to grow here, in Montreal,” the Montreal mayor’s office said in a statement to Agence France-Presse.
On-Field Struggles Compound Uncertainty
The sale process arrives on the heels of a difficult campaign on the pitch for the club, which was founded in 1992 and competed as the Montreal Impact until rebranding in 2021.
The team finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference during the recent regular season, managing only six victories and 26 points across 34 matches.
Previous managers include former France international Thierry Henry, who coached the side from 2019 to 2021.
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