CF Montreal didn’t just fire Marco Donadel; they confirmed that the club has become a neglected B-team in Joey Saputo’s portfolio, a rudderless experiment with no identity, no plan, and no hope of competing while its sister club Bologna thrives. The decision to part ways with Donadel after just six matches — a 1-5-0 start that included a 4-0 shellacking by Columbus Crew in which Montreal’s defense looked like it had never practiced together — was less a solution than an admission that the front office has no idea how to build a winner.
The contrast with Bologna is damning. Under the same ownership, Bologna finished fifth in Serie A last season under Thiago Motta’s sharp tactical system, featuring players like Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Orsolini who were developed and sold for massive profits. Meanwhile, in Montreal, Saputo has presided over a coaching carousel that now has produced six permanent or interim managers since 2019 — Wilfried Nancy, Thierry Henry, Hernán Losada, Laurent Courtois, Donadel, and now Philippe Eullaffroy. Nancy, the best of the lot, was let go and promptly won an MLS Cup with Columbus. Donadel, a club legend from his playing days, was given a squad that lost its top scorer (Chinonso Ofoedu via transfer) and its most experienced center-back (Rudy Camacho via retirement), then expected to compete with loans and bargain-bin signings. I watched them get overrun by NYCFC’s press in a 3-1 loss; they had no shape, no leadership, and no response. That’s not a coaching failure — that’s a front office failure.
The deeper issue is institutional neglect. Bologna operates with a clear philosophy: scouting, developing, and selling young talent while competing in Europe. Montreal operates by crisis management: fire the coach, hope the interim sparks a rebound, rinse and repeat. Saputo’s scattered attention is evident in the roster — a collection of mid-level MLS journeymen (Victor Wanyama’s legs have gone), unproven academy kids, and South American gambles that rarely pan out. The club’s stadium is half-empty on matchdays, and the fan base is