There was once a soccer team called ‘Supra’ that hailed from Quebec. There will soon be another as the Canadian Premier League (CPL) plants its flag in the province.
FC Supra du Quebec, the country’s newest professional men’s soccer team, was officially unveiled on Wednesday night in Laval, marking a historic milestone for soccer in the province and expanding the CPL’s national footprint.
The launch event at Complexe Multi-Sports de Laval introduced the club’s name, crest, and colors to members of Quebec’s soccer community. The branding revives the legacy of Montreal Supra, a club that played in the original Canadian Soccer League from 1988 to 1992, and sets the stage for a new era in Quebecois football.
“We want to be known as the club from here, for here,” said Rocco Placentino, President and Co-Founder of FC Supra. “The team’s name was a natural choice. We are honouring Quebec’s rich soccer tradition while building on community connections and elevating the game to the highest level.”
The club’s crest features a diamond shape – a first in the CPL – with a red, white, and blue palette. The white “S” in the logo represents movement and progress, while the diamond evokes the blocks of communities across Quebec. Red signifies Canadian pride, blue nods to the province’s Francophone culture, and white symbolizes unity and a bright future.
“Our team branding is deeply rooted in the unique culture of Quebec soccer. We are proud to have world-class expertise within the team’s ownership group, including a designer who has developed brand identities for leading soccer clubs globally, and who helped create our own branding,” Placentino added.
Home games at Stade Boreale, Laval
FC Supra will play home matches at Stade Boreale in Laval, a venue shared with Montreal Roses FC of the Northern Super League (NSL).
Originally built for Montreal’s professional women’s team, the stadium has a capacity of 5,581 and also houses offices and training facilities.
The lease gives Supra a ready-made soccer-specific venue, which officials hope will become a hub for Quebec’s growing soccer community. The ownership group also brings a mix of local roots and international sports expertise.
Alongside Placentino, the group includes Matt Rizzetta, Founder and Managing Partner of Underdog Global Partners and President of Campobasso FC in Italy; Angelo Pasto, President of Quebec-based real estate firm Stanford Properties Group; Stephane Tetrault, an entrepreneur from Quebec; and Jean-Francois Chenail, co-founder of Chenail Import Export.
The announcement also marks CPL’s long-awaited expansion into Quebec, a province with a passionate soccer community and a wealth of talent. Canadian Soccer Business CEO James Johnson highlighted the significance of the move:
“It’s an important day for us because expanding into this market was a priority. We know this market has a high participation in our sport. We know it develops fantastic footballers, not just at the Canadian level, but worldwide,” Johnson said.
“We wanted to expand into this market because we know the community loves sports and loves soccer, and we know that this community is going to get behind this team and the Canadian Premier League.”
Placentino, a former Canadian international and long-time figure in Quebec’s amateur and semi-professional soccer scene, underscored the province’s need for a professional men’s team beyond MLS side CF Montreal.
- Photo gallery: Montréal Roses FC beat Halifax Tides in NSL
- Match report: Cavalry FC cruise past Valour FC to seal CPL playoff spot
Having spent 13 years as sporting director of Ligue1 Quebec powerhouse CS Saint-Laurent, he helped develop national team talents like Ismael Kone and Moise Bombito, and led St-Laurent to multiple provincial championships and a Canadian Championship upset over CPL side Halifax Wanderers in 2024.
“This wasn’t a want, it was a need for our province,” Placentino said. “The amount of talent that we have here in Quebec for young soccer players is tremendous. I didn’t give up, I fought all the way till now, and it’s a bit surreal, but for us to announce a CPL team in our province is amazing.”
Quebecois talent at the core
Placentino envisions a team that showcases Quebecois talent, aiming to field a roster composed largely of local players.
“This is a team from us, for us,” he said. “It’s a team for Quebec. We believe we can be very competitive in the CPL with Quebec players. There’s a wealth of talent across Ligue1 and amateur clubs in the province, and perhaps a few established professionals may be eager for a homecoming.”
The club will also launch a formal search for its inaugural head coach in the coming months, with rumors linking CS Saint-Laurent head coach Nicholas Razzaghi as an early candidate. Placentino confirmed that the process will be transparent.
“We have ideas, but we will open an official process to give all candidates the chance to contact us and be part of the process. This should happen as early as October,” he said.
FC Supra will make its debut in the CPL in April 2026, becoming the league’s ninth team and the third expansion side following Atletico Ottawa (2020) and Vancouver FC (2023).
The launch represents not only the fulfillment of a long-held dream for Quebec soccer but also a strategic growth milestone for the league as it continues to strengthen its national profile and provide opportunities for local talent.
