As soon as hired, as soon as fired. Under the outcry generated by the senseless hiring of Sandro Grande as head coach of the CF Montreal reserve team, the soccer club came to its senses, thank god. He made the one and only gesture that dignity imposed on him: to reconsider his decision and end his agreement with the controversial player.
The reaction was quick, and the apologies expressed by Gabriel Gervais, President and CEO of CF Montreal, sincere and complete. “We lacked judgment, sensitivity and empathy, and we were not able to anticipate the reaction of our community,” he said, his regrets expressed in French having been directed first towards former Prime Minister Pauline Marois. Mr. Gervais took full responsibility for the decision, which he described as “unanimous” within the nominating committee.
Neither the desire to “give a second chance” to Sandro Grande nor the technical or professional skills of Mr. Grande could justify going over the seriousness of the words and gestures made and posed by the ex-player of the Impact about ten years ago.
It was he who, in 2009, had grabbed his Impact teammate Mauro Biello by the neck in the middle of a game, the angry image having recirculated abundantly since Monday evening. It was he who, in September 2012, the day after the election of the Premier of Quebec, Pauline Marois, and the attack on the Metropolis directed against her, had broadcast on social networks a message with a high content of hate and inciting violence. “The only mistake the shooter made last night was missing his target! Marois! Next time dude! I hope ! »
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, did not fail to recall that Sandro Grande is associated with “filthy and criminal remarks” made on several occasions against Quebec separatists.
The error was so gross that it also rallied the entire political class, united in denouncing the disgusting nature of this hiring. The press release issued Monday evening by the CF to make this announcement evoked apologies for “serious errors” and “lack of respect”. Nothing to transform into a tale of a thousand and one nights the entry into the ring of this man with a violent past and who was destined, oh supreme irony, to lead the next generation!
This false step will come to eliminate the already shaken confidence of the supporters and partners of CF Montreal, subscribed to the controversies, but that the new president Gabriel Gervais, arrived as a savior after the destructive reign of his predecessor, tried (successfully!) to rebuild. The club’s change of identity was not an easy pill for the aficionados, who still miss the cherished time of the Impact. Nor did the club help its cause by adding insults to its supporters, dictating a course of action to them as fans of the team. The departure a month ago of coach Wilfried Nancy, coupled with a good final season and the ability to develop the team, gave the impression that CF Montreal was struggling to retain its best assets.
Gabriel Gervais assures that this episode constitutes a great lesson, which one can believe without great difficulty. There will remain an aftertaste, unfortunately, and a slight mistrust: when it comes to governance, discernment is an essential ingredient.