Provincial MP for Marquette Enrio Ciccone paid tribute to a builder of football in Quebec in the chamber on Thursday.
In a speech lasting just over a minute, the former NHL hockey player highlighted Francis Millien’s contribution to the development of football in Quebec.
Ciccone, himself a very talented former soccer player, explained the context in which Millien started getting involved.
“Mr. Millien played in four National Soccer League of Quebec teams in the 1970s, but seeing the need and potential, he invited his father, the late Robert Millien, to settle in the Belle province.
⚽️ His vision, generosity and tireless work have made football in Quebec an inclusive and competitive sport, a pleasure, a specialty, jobs, a present and a future!
THANKS, @Francis Millien! 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/tikm3NE3Wf
— Enrico Ciccone (@EnricoCiccone) March 30, 2023
A shock
He then specifies that the shock for the father was great because he arrived in a country where everything had to be done in the world of football.
“For Millien’s father, the sporting shock was drastic. No round ball in the streets or in the schools, he’s fed up. It was 1979.
“Forty-four years later, thanks to generations of young people, coaches, elite and amateur players, thanks to the numerous technical programs and competitions that he [Francis] to its benevolent presence at sporting events, in the media and within organizations, football in Quebec is no longer an anecdote but a sport that connects, unites and fulfills the hearts of players and fans.”
According to Enrico Ciccone, Quebec football has undergone a great development due to the involvement of Francis Millien.
“Mr. Mililen, without your generosity, football would not be what it has become, an inclusive and competitive sport, a pleasure, a speciality, jobs, a present and a future.