CF Montreal terminates coach’s contract after political backlash over comments
By The Canadian Press on January 10, 2023.
MONTREAL – CF Montreal has terminated the contract of its reserve squad coach after a political backlash over his previous comments about Quebec’s 2012 election night shooting. The Major League Soccer club today announced the end of its deal with Sandro Grande less than a day after announcing the hire, with team president and CEO Gabriel Gervais calling the hiring a mistake. Grande was under fire over comments he made in the wake of the 2012 Quebec election night shooting outside a Parti Québécois gathering, notably writing on Facebook that the only mistake the shooter made was missing his target. Grande issued an apology in a statement released by the club on Monday, but the political reaction was almost immediate from politicians of all stripes. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called the hiring unacceptable in a series of tweets Monday and a spokesman for Quebec Premier François Legault said today that Grande’s appointment showed a lack of respect given his past unacceptable and hurtful remarks. Gervais, who is expected to meet reporters later today, apologized in a statement and admitted the club had underestimated the impact of the comments and actions from several years ago. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2023. 8-7
