Marco Donadel has been appointed CF Montréal’s permanent head coach, the club announced.
The Italian originally took charge on an interim basis on March 24, guiding the team to 8 wins, 10 draws, and 17 losses in 35 matches across all competitions. Despite the negative record, the club believes Donadel is the right man to lead its rebuild. “We are happy to confirm Marco Donadel’s position as head coach of the Club,” said Managing Director Luca Saputo, son of owner Joey Saputo. “We firmly believe that Marco has the right qualities to guide the Club forward and help us achieve our ambitions.”
A familiar face in Montréal, Donadel first joined the Impact as a player in 2015 and spent four seasons with the club before departing in 2018. He later returned as an assistant coach in December 2024 and stepped into the interim head coach role three months later.
Montréal faces a crucial off-season ahead of the 2026 campaign.
The club endured one of its worst years on record, finishing with just 28 points, matching its 2014 tally. They were eliminated from the Canadian Championship in the quarter-finals for a second straight year, both by CPL side Forge, and failed to win any of their three Leagues Cup matches. A 6-1 home defeat to Toronto at home in the Canadian Classique summed up their struggles, as Montréal managed only two victories across at Stade Saputo across all competitions, the fewest in MLS during 2025.
In short, it was a disastrous season, and Donadel and his staff have a major rebuilding task ahead.
