Sunday, around 1:15 p.m. The performer of the Canadian national anthem interrupts his singing at the Saputo stadium to make way for the crowd, as enthusiastic as possible. In the middle of the field, Samuel Piette shed a small tear.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
“We all saw how it was last week,” recalled the co-captain of CF Montreal, after his club’s loss to New York City FC.
” But [dimanche], it was even louder. And I was moved. I cried a little. I was so proud to be able to live these moments. My son, my fiancée, my parents and in-laws were there. »
Piette says it bluntly: he is “proud” to represent Montrealers and Quebec on the field, with the club of his city.
“I don’t take it for granted that I’m a role model for people in the stands. But I have to take pride in it. The moments we live are for the people of Montreal. »
“It was strong”
CF Montreal has accumulated victories on the field in 2022. But this rediscovered communion with its supporters is perhaps its finest. And its most important.
Of course, there were the pandemic years. The establishment of a domicile abroad. the rebrand controversial. A bare Olympic Stadium and a Saputo Stadium at the start of the campaign.
But after all that, it’s the team, ball at their feet, that has been the main vector for the return of partisan palpitations this year.
“We have definitely changed the culture here, launched Alistair Johnston, eyes still puffy, Sunday evening. It’s a soccer crazy town. And it was great to see that. »
“At the start of the year, it was a bit hesitant, continues the Canadian international. And I understood why. There were many doubts about our quality. But we proved to everyone that we were a team that deserved to be encouraged, an exciting team. And that’s what happened. »
Result: 7 full houses in the last 10 home games, including 3 in a row. A most electrifying atmosphere. Players who feed on it. And vice versa. The virtuous circle that turns.
“The beauty that there was on the stadium… it was strong”, described Wilfried Nancy, Sunday.
What makes me most proud is seeing 10-year-olds and 77-year-olds thanking the team. Compared to what she gave as emotions. I am the happiest in the world.
Wilfried Nancy
Nancy has hammered home all season that her vision of soccer goes “beyond wins and losses”. Basically, if his team plays well, good results will follow naturally. And the style of play he proposed, to which all his players adhere, obviously gave him the desired sensations.
“What I want you to remember from all of this is that we are playing against Forge or New York City, we have always respected the opponent, he illustrates. We always wanted to play the way we played.
“I am very, very proud of my players, my staff, the people of Montreal. Thank you. »
“We have to learn from this”
Piette himself had to reveal having shed a tear before the meeting. But we didn’t need binoculars to see the sobs of Djordje Mihailovic and Ismaël Koné on the pitch after the final whistle.
They were inconsolable. Not even the strong shoulder of a veteran like Kei Kamara made them dry up quickly. We doubt that Nancy did better just after.
“They are passionate,” explained the head coach afterwards. They love the city. »
For Mihailovic, Sunday was his very last minutes in the Montreal uniform before leaving for the Netherlands. The American “spent the most beautiful moments” of his young career here, underlines Nancy.
“Those are his words,” he says. He grew up as a person, as a player, and that’s completely normal. »
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Djordje Mihailovic and Nicolas Acevedo
And Mihailovic took the opportunity to slip a letter of thanks to the Montrealers, scoring the only goal for the locals at the very end of the game.
As for Koné, “Montreal is his city,” replies Nancy.
“He would have liked to do a little more. They are passionate, real guys. We try to console them, but that’s part of the job, unfortunately. We have to learn from that. »
The young Quebecer is at the center of rumors sending him to Europe in 2023. Perhaps he, too, felt that he was about to untie his cleats for the last time in Montreal.
“It will be a different team next season,” says Johnston. He had just noted the large turnover of players that takes place across the league each off-season.
“The culture and the group will be different. We must try to bottle this magic and bring it back next year. »