Quebec CPL Ownership Group Unveiled

History will unfold tonight as the Canadian Premier League expands into Quebec for the first time ever.

It’s a project that had proven to be a white whale for the league throughout its first seven years, but things have suddenly gone full steam ahead ever since the CPL locked in an ownership group just over one month ago.

The new team in the Greater Montreal area will kick off in April 2026 and will play from Stade Boreale in Laval, the same venue the Montreal Roses call home. Tonight will see the brand new club unveil its name, crest, and colours during an event at Complex Multi-Sports de Laval, with OneSoccer set to broadcast the announcement at 7:00PM EST, while also streaming it on YouTube.

Ahead of tonight’s unveiling, the ownership group has been confirmed, featuring four significant investors. The first is Matt Rizzetta, an American businessman who has invested in football clubs in North America and Europe, including Campobasso FC and Donna Roma, while having led the acquisition of Brooklyn FC and formed Napoli Basketball. Having helped shape a top fifty firm in the US with the North Six Group, he’ll serve as the Quebecois CPL side’s chairman and will sit on the CPL’s board of governors.

Angelo Pasto, President of Quebec-based real estate development firm Stanford Properties Group, is one of the three Quebecois owners from the group. He’s a familiar face to Rizzetta who also has ownership stakes in Campobasso FC, women’s club Donna Roma, Brooklyn FC, and Napoli Basketball, and lectures finance and project management at Vanier College in Montreal.

Also joining is EB Games owner and Import Dragon founder Stephane Tetrault, who has a long history of partnership within major sports leagues like NHL, NFL, and MLC, and also co-owners Mastermind Toys. Tetrault hails from Quebec and has strong ties to philantrophy through his a variety of charities including Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada, Holiday Helpers, Toys for Tots, and Action Nouvelle Vie, donating millions of dollars in toys and support over his entrepreneurial career so far.

The third Quebec-based investor to join is Jean-Francois Chenail, the co-founder and CEO of Chenail Import Export and real estate development company Via Trans International. His import company employs over 250 individuals, with Chenail bringing plenty of local passion to the team: his daughter players in NCAA Division I, and he’s a staunch believers in the growth of soccer in La Belle Province.

As he had already unveiled, former CF Montreal midfielder and current CS Saint-Laurent sporting director Rocco Placentino will be taking on the role of Club President for the newest CPL expansion side.

“Quebec is producing world-class talent, and with the arrival of a Canadian Premier League team in the province, we now have a platform that will allow local players to shine, inspire the next generations, and compete at the highest level in the country,” says Placentino. “The club will be made up of homegrown players from Quebec, with a mission to showcase their talent.”

The Canadian Premier League has worked hard to bring a team to Quebec since before the league had kicked its first football, with the arrival of new CSB CEO James Johnson reportedly providing a big boost to the positive timeline we now see.

“Moving into Quebec represents more than adding a new CPL market; it’s a strategic cornerstone of our coast-to-coast vision for Canadian professional soccer,” says Johnson. “Establishing a CPL club in the Greater Montreal Area fills a competitive gap and showcases our homegrown talent nationally and internationally, while opening doors to one of the country’s most vibrant and influential business regions. Quebec’s strong economy and passionate sports community create unparalleled opportunities for investment, sponsorship, and media reach, strengthening our national footprint, uniting diverse audiences, and ensuring Canadian soccer is positioned to thrive well beyond 2026.”

At Stade Borealis, the Montreal Roses have drawn an average attendance just north of 3,000. The Laval area has been a target for the CPL ever since it first kicked off, with Alex Bunbury having been closely tied to an initial expansion push in the area. The league made some large in-roads to Quebec City this year, going ‘hands-on’ to sort out a stadium solution for potential investors in the province whilst also hosting a well-attended league match in the province.

The branding, colours, and crest of the Canadian Premier League’s Quebec expansion team will be unveiled tonight at 7:00PM EST, and fans can tune in on both OneSoccer and the official OneSoccer YouTube channel.