CF Montreal announced Wednesday morning the creation of a women’s section at its academy.
After months of rumours, notably fueled by the club itself, the Impact has formalized the construction of its women’s project. He takes the reins of the Program Excel Féminin (PEF), a national development center of Soccer Quebec, which brings together the best players in the province from 15 to 18 years old.
It is therefore 12 years after the launch of the Academy that a female component makes its debut.
This news is not a surprise, since the president of CF Montreal, Gabriel Gervais, explained as soon as he took office the desire to introduce the said female component. Almost 14 months later, it’s done.
“This is great news and a great step forward for women’s soccer,” he said in a statement. There is a pool of very good players in Quebec. By launching this women’s program, we want to offer these players the best path to a professional career and help them achieve their dreams. »
But this so-called professional career will not be under the banner of the CFM since the first team project is not yet in the cards. A women’s professional league, led by former Canadian double Olympic medalist Diana Matheson, should be activated in April 2025, but unlike the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Bleu-blanc-noir will skip it for now.
So with regard to women’s soccer, the strategy of the Montreal eleven will revolve around three pillars, explained the club. “Developing the talents of tomorrow, spotlighting women’s soccer and inspiring a new generation of female leaders,” he said in his statement.
In April, the PEF players, then overseen by Soccer Quebec, wore the CF Montreal jersey during a trip to Paris. They were also accompanied by some representatives of the Bleu-blanc-noir during this stay during which they took the measure of some of the most prestigious clubs in the region, including Paris Saint-Germain.
A few days later, Olivier Renard, vice-president and chief sports officer of the CFM, confirmed that he had met the PEF players and their parents, a few days before their trip to Paris, to explain the outline of the project.
“I think it’s important and it’s part of what the Saputo family wants to do, that everyone is on the same footing, boys or girls,” noted Renard the last time he met Montreal media in mid-April.
Then in early May, Olivier Plante, the general manager of Soccer Quebec, also spoke of a possible transfer from the PEF during an interview with La Presse.
“It is sure that a professional club with all the infrastructure, all the financial means and all the human resources that it has, we believe that it can perhaps give a better chance to the girls to progress to reach a level elite,” he explained.
“When you look at what’s on offer and see the prospects, you’re quite confident that the opportunities for self-improvement can greatly increase by joining an organization, as you call it, CF Montreal. »
This is another step in creating an all-female counterpart to CFM.
