Montreal NSL team
Women's soccer club in Montreal, Quebec
Football club
- Isabèle Chevalier
- Jean-François Crevier
A professional women's soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec will compete in the Northern Super League, in the top flight of the Canadian soccer league system. The club will play their first season in 2025, as one of the six charter members of the league. Owned by entrepreneurs Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier, it is one of two professional soccer clubs in the province of Quebec, alongside CF Montréal.
History
The club was co-founded by Quebecer entrepreneurs Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier, who bought a licence for a team in the Northern Super League, then tentatively known as Project 8, in July 2023.[1] Chevalier, who gained notoriety as a "dragon" on both the French and French-Canadian adaptations of Dragons' Den, sought a team in the league as a passion project inspired by her advocacy for women's sports, while Crevier, whose companies manufacture and distribute lubricants, sought involvement in the league after news reports covering its establishment piqued his interest.[2][3][4] Their acquisition, along with regulatory approval by Canada Soccer, was achieved in May 2024,[1][5] and the league publicly announced Montreal and Ottawa Rapid FC as the last two of its six charter members at the espnW Summit Canada shortly after.[6][7][8]
During the club's development, Chevalier and Crevier sought advice from former Laval Comets and Canadian national team player Amy Walsh, and former Montreal Alouettes president Patrick Boivin.[4] They appointed former Montréal Alouettes and Montreal Alliance executive Annie Larouche as the club's first president, and former Juvisy and French national team player Marinette Pichon as its first sporting director.[9][10] Larouche, who was still an executive at the Alliance when she was nominated, served out the rest of her tenure at the Alliance to the end of the 2024 CEBL season.[11] Pichon had immigrated to Quebec in 2019, following her tenure as Juvisy's general manager, and participated in the local soccer scene prior to her appointment.[11][12] Pichon appointed Robert Rositoiu, who achieved a League1 Canada treble as coach of A.S. Blainville Féminin in 2022, as the club's first head coach.[13][14] The club initially found difficulty in securing a long-term tenancy at a venue in Montreal, and will adopt a touring model for their inaugural 2025 season, in which their home games will be played in various venues.[4][15]
Stadium
The club's training ground is the Centre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne in Laval, Quebec, which will undertake two rounds of renovations to accommodate the club.[13]
Organization
The club is independently owned by Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier.[1][5] It is led by Annie Larouche as its president, while Marinette Pichon manages the club as its sporting director.[9][10]
Team
Robert Rositoiu serves as the club's head coach.[13][14]
See also
Women's association football portal
- List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
- List of soccer clubs in Canada
- CF Montréal Academy
References
Sources
- The Canadian Press (28 May 2024). "New pro women's soccer league will have a team in Montreal". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Houpt, Simon (28 May 2024). "New Northern Super League takes women's soccer pro in Canada, with room to grow". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
Citations
- ^ a b c The Canadian Press 2024a, "Co-founders Jean-François Crevier and Isabèle Chevalier purchased the Montreal team in July 2023, but it was only last Friday that the deal with the new league was signed."
- ^ The Canadian Press 2024a, "Chevalier said this new league was not only an investment, but also a passion project. Crevier said he saw an article in March last year about the league that co-founder Diana Matheson wanted to start."
- ^ Houpt 2024, "The Montreal NSL team owners include Jean-François Crevier, the president of a commercial lubricant distribution company, and Isabèle Chevalier [...] one of the "dragons" on the Radio-Canada's edition of Dragon's Den."
- ^ a b c Jaques, John (28 May 2024). "Women's Pro Soccer To Plant Flag In Montreal". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ a b Davidson, Neil (4 April 2024). "Project 8 says three more clubs have asked to join proposed Canadian women's pro soccer league". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
The applications for professional club admission will be considered at Canada Soccer's annual general meeting in early May in Montreal.
- ^ Houpt 2024, "In fact, the four teams previously announced will be joined only by Montreal and Ottawa, which were unveiled Tuesday at the ESPNW Summit..."
- ^ Kerry, Gillespie (28 May 2024). "Canadian women's pro soccer league has a name, the Northern Super League, and two more teams". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
At the espnW Canada conference in Toronto, Matheson also announced Ottawa and Montreal have signed on to join previously announced clubs...
- ^ "Montreal, Ottawa join newly named Northern Super League pro women's soccer circuit". CBC Sports. 28 May 2024. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ a b Arcand, Jean-Philippe (19 June 2024). "Les nombreux chantiers d'Annie Larouche et de Marinette Pichon" [The many challenges of Annie Larouche and Marinette Pichon]. La Presse (in French). Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
...la nomination d'Annie Larouche à titre de présidente du club, tandis que l'ex-gloire du soccer français Marinette Pichon en sera la directrice sportive.
- ^ a b Richard, Mylène (19 June 2024). "En mode séduction pour dénicher des joueuses et un entraîneur de soccer" [In seduction mode to find soccer players and a coach]. Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ a b The Canadian Press (19 June 2024). "Annie Larouche leaves Montreal Alliance to head new local soccer team". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
Larouche leaves her position with the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, at the end of this season [...] After her sporting career, [Pichon] was general manager at FCF Juvisy Essonne...
- ^ Dunlop, Brendan (9 September 2024). "Behind the Badge: Find Out How NSL Montréal is Ready to Elevate the Game in Quebec". Northern Super League. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Jaques, John (11 September 2024). "Rositoiu To Coach Montreal's NSL Club". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ a b The Canadian Press (11 September 2024). "Montreal's Northern Super League club names Robert Rositoiu as head coach". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
Rositoiu is well known in the world of women's soccer, having won three trophies with AS Blainville in Ligue1 Québec [...] Rositoiu's appointment was the result of a meticulous selection process led by Pichon...
- ^ Jaques, John (30 May 2024). "Everything We Know About All Six NSL Launch Teams". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
External links
- Montreal at the Northern Super League
- v
- t
- e
- 2025 (planned)
- President
- Christina Litz
- Chief Growth Officer
- Diana Matheson
- Advisor(s)
- Christine Sinclair
Category
Portal
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