Luca Saputo wants to see progress at CF Montreal

CF Montreal defender Ruan walks off the field after the team's loss to the Seattle Sounders in an MLS soccer match Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson/The Canadian Press)

Luca Saputo wants to see progress at CF Montreal in 2026.

Does that necessarily mean qualifying for the playoffs? Not necessarily, explained the senior director of recruitment and sports methodology for the Montreal team on Thursday, during a videoconference from the team’s training camp in Marbella, Spain.

In concrete terms, how could this progress be achieved?

Head coach Marco Donadel recently spoke of adding 20 more points to the standings, and Saputo indicated that ideally, this would mean participating in the MLS playoffs.

However, Saputo pointed out that the team is only six months into its rebuilding process, which began with a letter sent to fans explaining the club’s new sporting plan, and that the current transfer window is only the second in this plan.

He was careful to add that this window will close in mid-April and that further changes are not out of the question.

He believes that the experience gained by the players returning this season, the experience brought in by the newcomers and the internal competition will allow the Bleu-blanc-noir to demonstrate this progress in the coming months.

Saputo specified that the goal of participating in the playoffs will not change the rebuilding process. It must therefore be understood that if the team is on the rise but misses the playoffs, he would not see it as a failure.

The Montreal executive also specified that, in addition to ranking points, advanced statistics will be used to measure the current progress of the club and its players.

CF Montreal will continue its training camp in Spain until Jan. 30. It will kick off its MLS season on Feb. 21 with a visit to San Diego FC.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 15, 2026.