FC Supra’s First Anniversary: Pride, Mistakes, Inexperience, and Self-Reflection

Haaaappy bbbbbirthdaaaay, Su-pra! Haaaappy bbbbbirthdaaaay, Su-pra!

Or if you prefer: Go Supra, it's your birthday. We're going to party like it's your birthday.

Today is September 24, 2026—the first anniversary of the founding of FC Supra du Québec. Exactly one year ago to the day, Rocco Placentino announced the creation of his new baby: a professional soccer club based in the Montreal area that would rely on Quebec talent to set itself apart.

Where do we stand one year later? What has worked well, and what has proven more difficult than expected? I took the time to discuss this with Rocco Placentino and Nick De Santis yesterday afternoon.

Pride… but also mistakes

The conversation began with a very simple question: What stands out to you from this first year?

Rocco Placentino, the team's president, didn't hesitate for a second. He feels a great deal of pride, both in the team's performance on the field and in its integration into the community.

“We've carved out a place for ourselves in the community. We've accomplished a lot in one year, and I'm proud of the effort so many people have put in. We didn't even exist a year ago. Yes, we've made mistakes—plenty of them, in fact—but we've learned a lot.” – Rocco Placentino

Nick De Santis added that everyone at the club has worked hard to ensure that the desired and promised identity is reflected on the field: a local club for local people.

“We've shown our identity. Players who are quintessentially Quebecois, with great technique and a style of soccer that's a joy to watch—that's our level. However, we've had some rough patches. It's up to us, as a club, to make the necessary assessments and find solutions. Everywhere! On the field and off it.” – Nick De Santis, special advisor

Both Rocco and Nick admitted to me that the club made mistakes. So what were those mistakes?

“If games lasted only 80 minutes, our team would be at the top of the standings. We've had a really hard time playing 90, 95 minutes. The mindset, however, is changing. We saw that last week in Ottawa.” – Rocco Placentino

“Our inconsistency during games has hurt us—whether mentally, tactically, or physically—but once again, it's up to us to improve in every area.” – Nick De Santis

More experience

I'd set aside 90 minutes in my schedule for Wednesday afternoon, so I wasn't in a rush. If you run into Nick or Rocco, they'll probably tell you that “Max had plenty of questions.”

Of the twenty or so questions I asked the guys, they talked about experience 50% of the time—both the experience they lacked at the start of the season and the extra experience they'll have next year…

You can tell: this first year has been challenging, but also very instructive for everyone—for the players as well as the coaching staff and other club employees.

“We'll have more experience next year. Our players have gained experience, and other experienced players will be joining the team.” – Rocco Placentino

Experience like what Thomas Meilleur-Giguère will bring, Rocco?

“Who's that? Thomas who?”

He did, however, end up singing the praises of Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, as well as Yann Toualy—two players he'd very much like to bring to the Supra.

If the president's wish comes true, will Nick Razzaghi still be the coach of TMG and Yann Toualy in March? Is senior management satisfied with Nick Razzaghi's work so far in 2026?

“We chose a coach with no professional experience. The staff has had its ups and downs. It's up to Nick to figure out what happened this year. That's the only way he'll grow as a coach. He's done a great job developing his style of play, but he needs to improve on several personal aspects of his approach to professional sports.” – Rocco Placentino

Nick De Santis went even further:

“We have a lot of respect for Nick because he always tries to do what's best for the club, not for himself. Not everyone in this business always tries to improve the club and the team before thinking about themselves. However, the owners have seen, just like you and I, that we should have won more games this year. They'll want answers. Next year, we'll aim for a playoff spot and hope to win the Canadian championship. Our goals will be high. We'll do a thorough review at the end of the season. We'll evaluate everything after the last game.” – Nick De Santis

A Quebec identity that could change? A door opens

FC Supra, with its Atlético Bilbao model, stands out from other CPL teams—and from Montreal's other professional soccer team—thanks to its 100% Quebec identity. A year later, do we still plan to maintain that identity?

“The mandate behind this philosophy hasn't changed. As long as my bosses don't tell me, ‘Rocco, we have to stop this,' I won't change it. The day my bosses say otherwise, that will be a different discussion. We now have a partnership with a team in France, FC Chambly. Will my bosses want us to allow ourselves to have two French players in the future? Maybe, but we're not there yet.” – Rocco Placentino

Do you know what I was reading between the lines when Rocco was talking to me? The owners have big ambitions, both on the field and at the box office. He'll defend his philosophy of a Quebec identity tooth and nail, but it'll have to pay off (in wins and dollars) for him to be able to defend it for years to come.

Relationship with CF Montréal

We saw FC Supra congratulate CF Montréal on advancing to the Canadian Championship final, but several people have told me privately that Rocco Placentino hasn't been sleeping much since FC Supra's elimination and CF Montréal's qualification. He was dreaming of that final. He was fantasizing about it, both for FC Supra and for all of Quebec.

“We have a very good relationship with CF Montréal. We talk often. We've had many discussions about various ways to collaborate for the good of soccer in Quebec […] However, if it had been us against them in the final, we wouldn't have congratulated them. We would have wished them good luck and gone out to win that game at Stade Saputo.” – Rocco Placentino

Nick De Santis reflected a bit on what CF Montréal and FC Supra could offer each other. There's a natural fit between the two clubs, and helping each other out would be beneficial for both organizations.

“We have what they need. They have a gap between their Academy and the team playing in MLS. We have what they're looking for: good, young talent from Quebec. We'd both benefit greatly from working together.” – Nick De Santis

Stade Boréale, Laval, and the Turf

Rocco Placentino and Nick De Santis make no secret of it: they expected to have more fans in the stands at Stade Boréale for their home games. The team's finances are obviously affected by this. Especially since renting Stade Boréale isn't exactly cheap, to put it mildly…

Is Laval the problem? Can the club survive by playing outside of the Island of Montreal? Would it have been easier if the Supra had played at CEPSUM, Concordia University, McGill University, or the Centre Claude-Robillard? Rocco thought for a few seconds, then simply replied, “No comment.”

He then added this:

“It's not a question of Laval or Montreal. Under the right conditions, we can do great things in Laval.”

Instead, you have to read between the lines and understand that if the deal with the Montreal Roses isn't renegotiated, the Supra might have to find a new stadium. But Rocco and Nick declined to comment on that possibility.

Nick De Santis did, however, admit that the surface at Stade Boréale doesn't help a club with a playing style like the Supra's. Playing at home should be a strength, but on the synthetic turf at Stade Boréale, it isn't.

In closing, I asked Nick and Rocco who would win the Canadian championship final. They didn't hesitate for a second.

“CF Montréal, 3–0. Two goals by Prince and another by Dante (Sealy). But I'll say it again: I really think we would have won that game if we'd eliminated the Forge.” – Rocco Placentino

“Montreal is going to win. I don't know by how much or who's going to score, but they're going to win.” – Nick De Santis

Overtime

– Rocco Placentino told me that having Supra matches broadcast on TVA Sports and RDS is very important for the club. All of Quebec has access to our games, and he hopes it stays that way. However, it's up to the league to negotiate to keep Supra matches on TV, not the club itself.

– Rocco and Nick are eager to launch their hybrid academy this fall (ages 8 to 18). Rocco plans to do all of this in collaboration with Soccer Québec and the amateur clubs. Nick, for his part, emphasized that the Supra will have what it takes to effectively develop young talent from Quebec.

“We don't talk much about our young pros, but we have Jolan Faury (U16) and Alexander Makarova (U17), who have represented Canada. We showcase our young local players by giving them playing time in matches and training sessions with the first team. We're proud of that—it's part of our goals […] Loïc, Sean… we hope they'll be here for years to come. They're key players, but there's also the possibility they'll make the leap to a higher level. We need a structure to develop the next generation. That will be very important. We're in the process of setting that up with the academy, but we'll have to be patient. We have a lot of talent in Quebec at the amateur level, but we really need to create better conditions so they can make the leap to the pros.” – Nick De Santis

– With Vancouver's draw yesterday, FC Supra now sits seven points out of a playoff spot, but with two games in hand. A win tomorrow in Calgary could keep their playoff hopes very much alive.

However, the Cavalry has lost only two games this season… on the road. Will the Supra be able to pull off a minor miracle in Alberta?