The Canadian Football League (CFL) free agent market opened Tuesday morning. However, Danny Maciocia, general manager of the Montreal Alouettes, had the approval to take out the checkbook… at 9 am only, the same day.
“At 9 o’clock yesterday morning?” “relaunched a journalist.
“Yes,” replied Maciocia, during a press conference organized on Wednesday in the locker room of the team in the basement of the Olympic Stadium.
Over the past few hours, the team has gone under guardianship. It is now managed by the league. This has also brought Mario Cecchini back into the team’s entourage as interim president. The Alouettes also lost several important players from the 2022 edition, but the organization made sure to obtain the services of other players benefiting from autonomy.
Tuesday was like a pond in the desert. That is to say, a source of refreshment where opportunities for rejoicing are rare.
Miracles
Maciocia has worked miracles by convincing players to sign up with the Montreal team, with only a few hours notice.
“I haven’t been able to spend money for several weeks. At some point, I received an email saying that I couldn’t spend any more money. This is where the frustration kicks in. But I knew the day [de mardi] was coming. You just had to be patient, but every day it got a little heavier, ”said the general manager, visibly relieved.
With the money that came in at 9 a.m., it’s a great pride to have people who have worked like you can’t even imagine to put players under contract.
Danny Maciocia
If he can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, he went through a darker period a few weeks ago. During a trip to the United States, where he dropped off in Florida, Los Angeles and Las Vegas to assess the NCAA’s top prospects, his morale was at an all-time low. Like the financial situation of the team.
Since his hands were tied, unable to see what the future of the team would look like, the idea of jumping ship crossed Maciocia’s mind. “I considered it at one point,” he revealed.
However, he took a step back and it will have been beneficial. That’s why he stood with an Alouettes jacket in front of the media. But “going through all this while you’re working, you wonder if it’s worth continuing. You can even start looking elsewhere. I have a family to feed too. This is a question I asked myself. It lasted maybe 30 seconds, but mostly there was a lot of frustration.”
However, the architect of the organization is optimistic. “There are many things that have encouraged me since [mardi]. Like the fact that the franchise is managed by the league and that we are now able to spend money to convince players. »
The Alouettes have their place
Wednesday morning, The Press recalled how the team was in a precarious situation financially. “The club plays in a rented stadium, it trains on rented ground and its employees work in rented premises. And now there is no owner,” wrote colleague Alexandre Pratt.
Despite everything, Danny Maciocia believes in the need for the Alouettes to stay in the metropolis.
“I strongly believe in a professional Canadian team here. With the amount of players who get scholarships or who play for professionals, I am convinced that there is room for a team in Montreal. »
The latest developments have given him “a little bit of juice to continue to [se] beat “. For him, “it’s a question of pride”.
According to him, the next owner(s) of the team will necessarily have “the Alouettes at heart”.
“It must be a priority to seek stability, bring back pride and give this team back to the fans,” he continued.
This is why the return of his great friend Mario Cecchini to the presidency delighted him. “Without an owner, without a president, you feel a little isolated, but it sure can hurt you, because you want answers. You want to know what’s going on. »
Even if all is not well, the Alouettes have a base to work from. In the context, “we are going in the right direction”, assured the general manager.