The CF Montréal soccer club on Tuesday reversed its decision to hire a controversial former player who made anti-sovereignist comments and appeared to have encouraged an attempted assassination of former premier Pauline Marois.
The hiring of Sandro Grande as head coach of CF Montréal’s reserve team drew unanimous condemnation from Quebec politicians.
The team responded to the wave of criticism by issuing a media release just before 10 a.m. on Tuesday saying it was terminating its relationship with Grande, the day after he was hired.
“We recognize that the hiring of Sandro Grande was a mistake and we regret the repercussions caused by this decision,” said Gabriel Gervais, the president and CEO of CF Montréal. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt or shocked. Clearly, we were insensitive and greatly underestimated the comments he made and actions he took several years ago.”
Earlier Tuesday morning, elected officials, including party leaders and Premier François Legault, issued statements denouncing the club’s decision.
“Mr. Grande has made unacceptable and hurtful comments in the past,” a statement from Legault’s office said.
“His appointment is disrespectful and sends the wrong message. This is a major lack of judgment on the part of CF Montréal.”
In the wake of the Sept. 4, 2012, shooting at the PQ’s victory party at Montreal’s Metropolis Theatre, Grande’s Twitter account read: “The only mistake the shooter made last night was missing his target! Marois!!! Next time, buddy! I hope!”
The shooting left one person dead and another injured.
Grande has maintained that his account was hacked, according to La Presse. The former Montreal Impact player did, however, admit to calling separatist voters “hillbillies,” adding that they were “so stupid it’s unimaginable.”
1/4 Le PQ dénonce vivement cette nomination inacceptable. <br><br>En rappel, dans les heures qui ont suivi le drame du Métropolis, Grande a publié ceci : «La seule erreur que le tireur a commise la nuit dernière, c’est de rater sa cible! Marois! La prochaine fois mon gars! J’espère!» <a href=”https://t.co/dfXzkxJavu”>https://t.co/dfXzkxJavu</a>
Grande’s statements came three years after the Montreal Impact released him for having grabbed teammate Mauro Biello by the throat during practice in 2009.
In a statement released by the team Monday, Grande issued an apology and admitted to having made errors in the past.
“I am very grateful and happy to have the opportunity to return to the club I have loved since I was a child,” Grande said.
“I made some serious mistakes several years ago and I am deeply sorry if I disrespected anyone. I have learned a great deal from them and know that I am joining an organization where the values of inclusion and diversity are fundamental. I think it’s important to use our personal experiences to continually improve and correct our past mistakes.”
But Quebec political leaders said Grande’s apology wasn’t good enough.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said in a tweet that he had read Grande’s apology but that it was “insufficient and failed to mention the group it targeted (sovereignists) or the person he wanted to see killed (P. Marois).”
He said Grande “did not make a single trivial mistake or one tweet too many one night, he repeatedly made filthy and criminal remarks aimed at more than two million pro-independence Quebecers.”
Isabelle Charest, Quebec’s sports minister, said in a statement the decision to hire Grande lacked judgment.
“The comments made by Sandro Grande are unacceptable and have no place in our society,” she said. “We have to question the message that all this sends to young people, especially those for whom Mr. Grande will be responsible.”
The Quebec Liberal Party said the hiring decision was a mistake. “We must not trivialize the violent comments he has made in the past,” the party said in a statement. “Sport should rather be used to promote values of respect and solidarity.”
Pascal Bérubé, a Parti Québécois MNA, called on the Quebecers who sit on the board of directors of the Bank of Montreal, CF Montréal’s main sponsor, to oppose Grande’s hiring.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, said the club owed sovereignists and Marois an apology. After the club announced Grande’s departure, he tweeted: “All of this could have been avoided if the Club had shown some basic common sense.”
The Montreal Impact released Sandro Grande for having grabbed teammate Mauro Biello by the throat during practice in 2009. (Jeremy Olson/Radio-Canada)
Legault also said the team had made the right decision. “I welcome the decision of CF Montreal to end its contract with Sandro Grande,” he said in a tweet. “This story should remind us of the importance of never trivializing the Metropolis attack that occurred in September 2012.”
CF Montréal had also announced Patrick Viollat would be Grande’s assistant coach. The club said Grande’s departure will not affect Viollat’s hiring.
Grande had been the technical director at FC Laval since October 2021 and was previously technical director of the Étoiles de l’Est from 2011 to 2019. He led the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Collège Montmorency from 2017 to 2021. As a player, he played for the Montreal Impact in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009.
Viollat has been technical director of the Concordia Regional Soccer Association since 2019 and before that was the technical director of the Lac St-Louis Regional Soccer Association, and served as assistant coach for the soccer teams at McGill University.
CF Montréal also announced on Monday that its main academy team — fomerly CF Montréal U23 — will now be called CF Montréal Reserve. The team plays in the Premier Soccer League of Quebec (PLSQ).
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
