CF Montreal midfielder Samuel Piette would certainly have liked his team’s journey to extend further into the Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs, but he says he fully savored the 2022 campaign.
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The Quebecer took part in the end-of-season press conference held Tuesday afternoon at the Center Nutrilait and obviously, he expressed his satisfaction with the job done. The club had the best regular season in its history with 65 points in the standings.
In Piette’s eyes, head coach Wilfried Nancy is one of the main reasons for the team’s success. According to him, he was able to reduce the pressure on his troops by creating a pleasant working atmosphere and by refraining from judging the players too harshly, unlike some of his predecessors.
“Everyone felt good, we could progress. It’s really the best season of my career,” he said.
Now, the veteran knows that the portrait is likely to be different next year with the departure of Djordje Mihailovic and the less than certain presence of Victor Wanyama. However, other athletes will have the opportunity to repeat the exploits accomplished this year.
“I would have liked to cut and paste the squad next year, but sometimes when you’re successful, that’s what happens. There are opportunities elsewhere for some. As a player or organization, you have to take advantage of it. Djordje has even bigger goals and the transfer [vers l’AZ Alkmaar] was the right thing to do,” he said.
“I’m sad. Do you want to change a winning formula? No, but you have no choice, he also said. It remains unknown. Why not realize next year what we have done? There has been a change in culture on the pitch and it will be up to us, those who remain, to keep it for the players who will arrive.