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Analysis
- 6 Jun 2026
CF Montreal are the laughing stock of MLS - but things are even worse than they seem
13 Apr 2026 15:20 CDT |
4 min read
Analysis
CF Montreal have fired head coach Marco Donadel, hammering home that they are the worst-run franchise in Major League Soccer.
MLS has its fair share of duds. When your team comes up against sides like Orlando City, Sporting Kansas City and even free-spending Atlanta United, you're probably not worried that your boys will be on the receiving end of a hammering.
When you come up against Montreal, you're almost guaranteed points at this stage. The team from Quebec are bottom of the Eastern Conference through seven matches, winning once and losing six.
Montreal's sole three-pointer came against the "Baby Bulls," a New York Red Bulls side that started with two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old in their line-up. The only other team stuck on three points are conference rivals Philadelphia Union, who are struggling after selling their most important players in the offseason.
On paper, there are some similarities between Montreal and the Union. Both refrain from spending big and usually post the smallest payrolls in MLS. The major difference, however, is that the Union, for the most part, have been run with a clear identity - trusting the youth academy - while Montreal are simply a rudderless ship.
Montreal's decline continues
Ultimately, it was the Union that plunged Montreal deeper into crisis. Their 2-1 comeback win sealed the fate of head coach Marco Donadel, CFM's beloved former midfielder.
The Italian's hire 13 months ago was a sign of the club's desperation. His only previous head coaching experience came at Italian lower-league side Ancona. He was sacked there after a few months.
Now that the dust has settled, his record at Montreal doesn't make for great reading. He lost 20 of his 36 games, winning just seven. But the blame can't be solely pinned on the 42-year-old.
On the contrary, it was evident from the start that Donadel was taking on an impossible job. Montreal have been let down by their ownership more so than by any coach or player since joining MLS in 2012.
11 head coaches have tried their hand at turning Montreal into a successful MLS franchise. Not one of them has stayed for more than two seasons. Just four have even cracked the 50-game mark.
Montreal have missed the playoffs in eight of their 14 seasons in MLS. They only once reached a conference final (2016) and haven't won a playoff game since 2022.
The level of consistent failure is astounding, but it shouldn't be entirely surprising. The crux is the club's spending - or lack thereof - and recruitment. As pointed out by Tom Bogert, Montreal have not spent an actual transfer fee on a Designated Player since Ignacio Piatti in 2014.
All of the DPs that have been acquired since have either arrived on free transfers, via MLS trade mechanisms or on loan. This in itself is illuminating, but it is made worse by the fact that most of the club's DPs have been flops.
While MLS clubs are spending more money than ever before, Montreal are pinching pennies. It is no surprise that this approach isn't working, but ownership evidently doesn't care.
Joey Saputo, who has put his sons in charge of the club, is clearly more interested in Bologna, his other investment, than Montreal. The Serie A side have actually been successful recently, winning the Coppa Italia last year.
Montreal, meanwhile, have been left to rot. The disconnect between Saputo and the community has been palpable for years, and open conflict broke out when he rebranded the club in 2021.
The unique Montreal Impact name was dropped in favour of the bland Club de Foot Montreal. Gone was a name that suited the local community - "impact" means the same thing in English and French - and Montreal instead became just another football club.
It caused outrage in the fanbase, who felt that the club's identity was being erased. The outcry was so widespread, and reflected in declining ticket sales, that Saputo backpedalled, adopting a new crest more similar to the old one and shortening the name to simply CF Montreal.
The natural consequence of all of the above is growing disillusionment. So far in 2026, Montreal boast the second-lowest average attendance in MLS with 14,028. Only FC Dallas, whose stadium is currently undergoing renovations, have welcomed fewer spectators.
It is difficult to have a positive outlook on the future of Montreal if there is not a major reckoning. The current modus operandi is unsustainable, and with attendances plummeting, there may come a point where questions have to be asked about the club's long-term prospects of survival.
After all, supporters actually have an alternative now. FC Supra du Quebec have just kicked off their inaugural season in the Canadian Premier League with a thrilling 3-2 win over Pacific FC.
Based in the suburb of Laval, Supra have a clear identity and philosophy: they only want to sign players with ties to Quebec. For disgruntled supporters of CF Montreal, Supra could become their new club of choice unless the MLS franchise undergoes much-needed open-heart surgery.
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