Little by little, the Montreal soccer club of the Super League North is taking shape. The team revealed early Wednesday the identity of its new head coach; it is Robert Rositoiu.
The Montreal team also announced that its training center will be established at the Bois-de-Boulogne Sports Center in Laval.
The name Robert Rositoiu is probably no stranger to fans of Quebec women’s soccer. The Romanian-born player, who grew up in Montreal, led AS Blainville to three Ligue1 Quebec championships in recent years. “This success is a testament to his ability to develop talent and get results,” the club said in a statement.
The team selected its coach through a process led by sporting director Marinette Pichon and Nick de Santis, with sports consulting firm Bloom Sports overseeing the process.
According to Pichon, Rositoiu is “well-liked by his peers and the athletes he has mentored.” “His deep knowledge of the local talent pool, combined with his values and playing principles, will allow us to lay a solid foundation for the success and growth of our future team!” she adds.
The club’s president, Annie Larouche, describes Rositoiu as a “charismatic and unifying leader, recognized for his great communication skills.”
Rositoiu, who holds a Canada Soccer A license, previously worked within the CF Montreal organization for five years, where he was trained by Philippe Eullaffroy. He also served as the U16 head coach in MLS Next, at the Vancouver Whitecaps academy, in addition to being part of the Canadian U17 men’s national technical team during the Canada-Brazil series last year.
The main interested party said he was honored to join the team, “looking forward to putting [son] experience and [sa] passion” for profit and eager to “build an environment where each player can flourish and perform.” “Together,” he continues, “we will work with rigor and determination to achieve our goals and create a culture of sustainable success.”
The athletes’ “second home”
The new professional team will therefore train at the Bois-de-Boulogne Sports Centre in Laval. There are three synthetic soccer fields, including two indoor fields, as well as two natural fields.
The venue will undergo major renovations, split into two phases, over the coming months. It will feature a “fully equipped” gymnasium, a “high-end locker room in the club’s colours”, therapeutic baths, a physiotherapy room and a living space with a kitchen, dining room and lounge.
The nearly 10,000-square-foot space “will provide the ideal environment to become a second home” for athletes, the club wrote. They “will find everything they need to perform at the highest level.”
The first phase is to begin in October, so that the facilities are ready before the first training sessions in February. The inaugural season of this new Canadian professional soccer league will begin in April 2025.
“This center is designed to become a real engine of success for our team,” they conclude.