A day came when Joey Saputo made a disturbing, even worrying observation: his sports organization had lost its relevance in his market. It’s a situation he wants to correct, and he intends to do so with the contribution of the new president and CEO of CF Montreal, Gabriel Gervais.
Twenty-four hours after the announcement of his appointment and almost 20 years after playing his first game with the Montreal Impact, Gervais met the media Tuesday morning at Center Nutrilait.
“We were looking for someone who embodies the values of my family and those of this organization. A mobilizing leader who has the operational and strategic skills to manage an organization like CF Montreal. We also wanted someone who knows and understands soccer, business management and Quebec inc. Gabriel meets all of these criteria,” said Saputo, who sees Gervais playing a leading role in achieving the organization’s goals.
Seemingly relaxed, happy to be “back home” and claiming to have a new dream come true, Gervais answered generously and without evading all the questions that were asked of him for about 40 minutes. This includes those relating to the identity of the team, a file which continues to be talked about and to cause some form of controversy among the fans of the team, more than a year after the famous ” rebranding “.
Gervais also did so by recalling a fundamental element. After almost 13 years at Deloitte, a company where he held the role of partner and which he still adores even though he has just left it, the 45-year-old man will need time to get to know all the cogs of the organization and the league, as well as all the people with whom he will work on a daily basis in the offices of the Saputo stadium.
“In the short term, I want to familiarize myself with operations, meet our employees, meet our technical team. Yesterday [lundi], I met the employees and this morning I met the technical team and the players. These were two very stimulating encounters for me. I also want to meet all the stakeholders who gravitate around the club as well as MLS, ”he first clarified.
“We are going to work very hard as an organization to regain our place, our relevance in the market so that we can shine. I am aware that we must be rooted and visible in the community. And there’s no other way to do it,” added the former defender and ex-Impact number 8.
Bonds to nurture
It was in its message introducing its new president that Saputo alluded to the importance of regaining market relevance for the club. In fact, Saputo formally assured that it was Gervais’ mission.
Asked to clarify the current state of this relevance, Saputo expressed himself with lucidity, while acknowledging that some answers still elude him. “When we entered MLS and there was a game on Saturday afternoon at Saputo Stadium or Olympic Stadium, we saw people in the city wearing Impact jerseys. We knew something was going on in the city. We were more present with our partners, we were more present in the city as such, ”he first recalled.
“I would say that in 2012, 2013, 2014, things were going well, and slowly, we lost that. We have to look at why. We are not only talking about 2021 because of the name change, the logo. It started before that. […] There are many factors that could be attributed to this, but it is something that needs to be analyzed in more depth. »
As for the identity of the team, Gervais admitted that it is a sensitive issue for everyone and that it had been for him too. “When I heard the news [du changement de nom et du logo], it struck me. I didn’t understand and I’ll tell you it was in the way it was communicated,” he said.
“The way the name was changed from the Impact to CF Montreal was with a vision of putting the city, the community, at the center of the team. I understand that perfectly. And to use a designation, a more international, universal nomenclature of soccer, I am correct with that. So what I can tell you today is that the CF Montreal name is here to stay,” said Gervais.
Gervais wants to restore a harmonious relationship with all of the team’s supporters and establish a dialogue with them, because he knows, he says, how much public support for a group of players can be inspiring.
“Ultimately, we want all the supporters to be at the stadium. This is the goal of the club, I guarantee it. There is a project, there are reflections that are being done, namely how we can unify our supporters. »
“I’m going to ask a question, but I know the answer. Would you rather have 1,000 or 2,000 of our club’s most passionate supporters behind the opposing goal to give the keeper a truly hellish 45 minutes, or would you rather have them scattered around the stadium? We want to unify all our supporters. Ultimately, we are all here to help the club. And that’s what we want. »