Prime Minister François Legault’s office strongly condemned CF Montreal’s hiring of an ex-footballer who had made controversial statements about the Sovereignists.
• Also read: Comments Dirt after attack on the Metropolis: CF Montreal makes a take that fails
The hiring of Sandro Grande as head coach of CF Montreal’s reserve team, announced late yesterday, is not happening in Quebec.
“Mr. Grande has a history of making unacceptable and hurtful comments. His appointment is disrespectful and sends the wrong message. It is a gross lack of judgment on the part of CF Montreal,” Mr. Legault’s spokesman said in a written statement.
One of the CAQ government’s tenors, Bernard Drainville, goes even further in a message posted to Twitter.
“I went to the Metropolis with Martine and Rosie. This guy shouldn’t be coaching @cfmontreal writes the Minister of Education.
The day after the 2012 attack on Metropolis, Sandro Grande posted a message on Twitter saying, “The only mistake the shooter made last night was missing his target! Marois! Next time dude! I hope! “.
Mr Grande claims his account was hacked.
However, he admits to writing on his Facebook account that the sovereignists are “hillbilly” and that the “separatists are so stupid it’s unimaginable”.
unanimous political class
It was the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who was the first to denounce the hiring of Sandro Grande on Monday night.
“Grande has not made a single mundane mistake or one tweet too many in one evening, he has repeatedly made dirty and criminal remarks aimed at more than 2 million separatist Quebecers. This implied warranty by the @cfmontreal unsustainable and extremely uncomfortable,” he wrote on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Québec solidaire parliamentary leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois called this attitude “unacceptable.” “The generic apologies released by CF Montreal yesterday are just as important. The manager and club owe an apology to the Separatists and Pauline Marois,” he wrote.
Among the Liberals, MP Marwah Rizqy said she “agrees 100%” with Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. “Ms Pauline Marois was the victim of a political attack. Ms. Marois literally stood in the face of terror! It’s up to us today to stand up,” she said.