CF Montréal has officially parted ways with head coach Laurent Courtois, as announced by the club on March 24, 2025. This decision follows a disappointing start to the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, which saw the team struggling without a win in their first five matches. Assistant coach Marco Donadel has been appointed as the interim head coach, marking the first managerial change in the 2025 MLS campaign.
Courtois was hired in January 2024, arriving at the club after a successful stint leading the Columbus Crew's MLS NEXT Pro team to a championship title in 2022. His time with CF Montréal started on a hopeful note, guiding the team into the Eastern Conference Wild Card round during his first season. However, their aspirations came to an abrupt halt at home, where they ultimately lost to Atlanta United in a penalty shootout.
The preceding season proved to be underwhelming for the team, finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference with an 11W-13L-10D record, amassing a total of 43 points. This year's poor start, compounded by an ongoing streak of losses, led to mounting pressure on the head coach. This past Saturday, CF Montréal managed to recover from a season-opening loss to Atlanta, but their subsequent outing against Nashville SC ended in a 3-0 defeat, leaving the team reeling.
Currently, the club finds itself at the bottom of the overall league table with a record of 0 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw. With just one point to their name, the pressure is mounting as they continue on a season-opening seven-game road trip. The next match slated for Saturday, March 29, will see them face off against Chicago Fire, before they finally return to Stade Saputo on April 12 to host Charlotte FC.
Key players for the Montreal team include Canadian internationals Joel Waterman, Samuel Piette, and Nathan Saliba. However, the squad has been further beleaguered by injuries to offseason signings Jalen Neal and Giacomo Vrioni, leaving the team short on depth as they navigate the early season challenges.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, CF Montréal expressed their gratitude toward Courtois, saying, "CF Montréal would like to thank Laurent for his contributions to the Club." While the club has made a significant change at the helm, hope remains that Donadel can steer the team toward better fortunes.
The transition period under interim head coach Donadel will be critical as he aims to reinvigorate the squad and secure that elusive first win of the season. The upcoming matches present an opportunity for revitalization, but the path ahead remains steep as the team works to regain its footing in the league and build upon the glimpses of promise they showed last season.
