Despite the “unacceptable acts” committed by Sandro Grande, CF Montreal had chosen to appoint him coach of the reserve team, late Monday evening. An error recognized on Tuesday by President Gabriel Gervais, explaining that the club had been blinded by the desire to give him “a second chance”.
• Read also: Controversial comments on sovereignists: already over for Sandro Grande with CF Montreal
• Read also: Sandro Grande, a name synonymous with controversy
Less than 24 hours following the controversial announcement, CF Montreal backtracked, cutting ties with Grande, who had “wanted” the death of Pauline Marois and insulted the sovereignists.
“The hiring of Sandro Grande had been made in good faith, assured Gervais on Tuesday. The decision had been motivated by his excellent technical skills, professional relationships and the experience and maturity that had been acquired over the past 10 years. Our judgment has been clouded by our desire to give Sandro Grande a second chance. We have to admit today that it was a mistake. »
“Obviously, we lacked sensitivity and greatly underestimated the scope of the comments made by Sandro Grande and the gestures he committed several years ago,” added the president and CEO of Bleu- White black.
Photo QMI Agency, Joël Lemay
The president of CF Montreal made his mea culpa on Tuesday for the hiring of Sandro Grande as head coach of the reserve team, a job that only lasted a few hours.
The Metropolis attack
Following the Metropolis attack in 2012, which left one dead and one seriously injured, following the election of Pauline Marois, it was possible to read this message in English on the Twitter account of the former player of the Impact, today CF Montreal: “The only mistake the shooter made last night was missing his target! Marois! Next time dude! I hope ! »
Grande had argued that his account had been hacked – which Gervais did not endorse on Tuesday – but he admitted to writing on Facebook that the sovereigntists were “hillbillies”. [habitants] and that the “separatists are so stupid it’s unimaginable”.
- Listen to the interview with Bernard Motulsky, holder of the Chair of Public Relations and Marketing Communication at UQAM and professor of communication on QUB radio:
Mme Marois “upset”
Quickly following the announcement of Grande’s return to the CF Montreal family in a press release in which the 45-year-old Montrealer apologized, the political class rose up, the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, on your mind.
All the main parties were unanimous and called this hiring “unacceptable”, “lack of respect” and “judgment”, as well as “uncomfortable”, while asking for an apology for Pauline Marois.
The latter was moreover “upset” by the latest events, according to what her assistant told our Parliamentary Office.
It is therefore no surprise that Prime Minister François Legault welcomed Tuesday’s decision by CF Montreal.
“This story should remind us of the importance of never trivializing the Metropolis attack that occurred in September 2012,” he said on Twitter.
“We would like to extend our most sincere apologies to Mr.me Pauline Marois, the former Premier of Quebec, to the political parties, to the members of the Parti Québécois, to our partners, our supporters and to all Quebecers who were shocked,” said Gervais, who presented himself alone in front of the media on Tuesday.
Photo taken from the twitter account @CFMONTREAL
Sandro Grande
Saputo knew
The selection was made by a committee and the owner Joey Saputo was aware of and agreed with this hiring. But the president takes full responsibility for this decision.
“We were aware of the unacceptable acts of Sandro Grande 10 years ago. But what we saw in Sandro as a candidate was the last few years, the good things he did, the maturity he gained,” mentioned Gervais, adding that the organization had obtained good references from Collège Montmorency and FC Laval, where Grande had recently worked, and specifying that his ex-teammate had the confidence of parents and players.
“We expected to have people upset, but not to the extent that it materialized,” he continued.
Another misstep
This isn’t the first time the confidence of fans and team sponsors has been shaken in recent years. The name and logo were changed despite the dissatisfaction of many fans and a group of supporters was expelled from Saputo Stadium. Although the club has healed the wounds, scars remain.
And concerning the soccer aspect, it is difficult to miss the departure of coach Wilfried Nancy, whom CF Montreal was unable to retain.
“We don’t want to make dramas constantly,” assured Gervais. But we understand very well the extent and severity of the error we made. We will work very, very hard to restore this trust with you. [les médias]with our supporters, with our sponsors. […] The 30e club anniversary, believe me, that’s not how we were planning to start it. »
A lesson
Gervais, appointed at the end of March to the position of president of the Montreal eleven, is therefore experiencing an accelerated learning process.
“Before giving someone a second chance, we’ll think regarding it 2-3 times,” he said. Then, we will challenge ourselves more, have this professional rigor and above all put ourselves in the shoes of the community, show more empathy.
– With Patrick Bellerose, Parliamentary Office
Initially named assistant to Sandro Grande, Patrick Viollat will be the coach of the CF Montreal reserve team.
Unanimous denunciations
Reactions to the hiring of Sandro Grande
“Grande did not make a single banal mistake or one tweet too many one evening, he repeatedly made filthy and criminal remarks targeting more than 2 million separatist Quebecers. This tacit guarantee by CF Montreal is untenable and extremely uncomfortable. »
– Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of the Parti Québécois
“Mr. Grande has made unacceptable and hurtful comments in the past. His appointment is disrespectful and sends the wrong message. It’s a big lack of judgment on the part of CF Montreal. »
– François Legault, Premier of Quebec
“While we are striving to make significant changes in the culture of the sports environment, CF Montreal is lacking a lot of judgment in proceeding with this hiring. The comments made by Sandro Grande are unacceptable and have no place in our society. »
– Isabelle Charest, Minister of Sport
« Mme Pauline Marois was the victim of a political attack. Mme Marois stood tall in the face of terror, literally! It is up to us today to stand up. »
– Marwah Rizqy, Liberal MP
Reactions following CF Montreal’s decision to end their relationship
“Hate, racism and misogyny have no place in our societies, and I hope the club will continue to embody the Montreal values of respect and inclusion. »
– Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal
“All this might have been avoided if the Club had exercised basic common sense. »
– Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire
“Finally, given the circumstances, we believe that CF Montreal made the right decision. »
– Mathieu Chamberland, General Manager of Soccer Quebec
