CF Montreal begins sale process as Saputo seeks new ownership

CF Montreal has begun a formal sale process, with Joey Saputo announcing on Monday that his family is seeking new ownership after more than three decades in charge. The club's announcement said the search would be coordinated with Major League Soccer and would give priority to suitable Quebec-based investors.

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BMO Capital Markets will lead the financial advisory work, supported by National Bank of Canada Capital Markets. The club said prospective owners would need both the financial resources and the commitment to sustain its future. Saputo described the decision as a considered transition rather than a response forced by circumstances.

Remaining in Montreal is the owner's preference, but it is not an unconditional promise. Yahoo Sports reported that Saputo did not dismiss relocation and indicated that insufficient local offers could leave him with no choice but to consider a move. That distinction leaves the club's eventual location unresolved as the ownership search gets under way.

The announcement follows a difficult season on the field. According to the Canadian Press report carried by Sportsnet, Montreal finished last in the Eastern Conference with six wins, 20 losses and eight draws. The team also lost the Canadian Championship final to Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, adding a cup disappointment to its league struggles.

The Canadian Press also reported that frustrated supporters boycotted matches late in the season. Saputo founded the franchise as the Montreal Impact in 1992 and helped take it into MLS in 2012. The proposed ownership change therefore concerns the family that established the team and oversaw its move into the league, rather than a recent investor exiting.

For now, the club says its existing staff and management will stay, including Gabriel Gervais, Luca Saputo and Simone Saputo, while sporting and community activities continue normally. Saputo also reaffirmed his family's willingness to invest substantially in efforts to bring Canada Soccer's National Training Centre to Montreal. That project remains conditional: the club described it as a potential future home, not a secured facility.