“If the club doesn’t find a local buyer and I get an offer where the club needs to be relocated, then I have no choice,” Joey Saputo said Monday.
The longtime owner announced that CF Montreal is officially up for sale, opening the door to a potential relocation away from Quebec if local investment fails to materialize. Saputo founded the franchise in 1992 as the Montreal Impact before bringing the team into Major League Soccer in 2012.
Saputo and his family will continue to manage day-to-day operations while the sale process moves forward. He explained that after 33 years at the helm, it was simply time to pass the torch to a new ownership group equipped with the resources and vision to build on the existing foundation.
While Saputo stated a clear preference for keeping the club in Montreal, he acknowledged that relocation remains a distinct possibility under the right circumstances. Any accepted offer to move the franchise would ultimately require approval from Major League Soccer.
The announcement arrives on the heels of a difficult campaign on the pitch. Montreal finished at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference this season, collecting just 26 points and recording a league-worst six wins.
CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo announces club is for sale, quite forcefully does not rule out relocation. "If the club doesn’t find a local buyer and I get an offer where the club needs to be relocated, then I have no choice." With @tombogert:https://t.co/iQN3R85bwm
The franchise has faced persistent criticism for operating as one of the lowest-spending teams in the league. Saputo noted that club leadership has been actively working with Olympic Park to secure a lease agreement that would align their operating costs with other MLS clubs, potentially unlocking higher spending capacity for future rosters.
However, Saputo emphasized that putting the team on the market was not strictly an economic decision. He described the choice to let go of an asset that has been part of his life for over three decades as an emotional milestone.
With CF Montreal officially up for sale, two of the three Canadian franchises in Major League Soccer are now searching for new owners. Vancouver Whitecaps majority owner Greg Kerfoot recently announced that his club was also available for purchase.
Saputo and his family plan to remain in charge through the initial phases of the sale, utilizing the interim period to meet with potential ownership groups before finalizing any long-term agreements for the club’s future.
CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo won't get into the figures of what the family is looking to sell the club for. The club was valued at $440 million (CAD $621.14 million) by Forbes earlier this year 💰https://t.co/88ok3uaG5O#CFMTL | #MLS https://t.co/j4TOdup2ae
