by Daniel J. Rowe, CTV Montreal
Those who tattooed the Montreal Impact logo on their bodies will now have to consider whether they want to add the team's new brand for consistency, as the team announced it will now be going by Club de Foot Montreal (CF MTL) for the upcoming season.
The Major League Soccer team announced its new brand Thursday after months of rumours that it was rebranding.
“Football is more established than ever in Montreal, and its history, which dates to the late 1800s, continues to evolve with this announcement. We wanted to connect our identity even more strongly to that of our city. We were inspired by Montréal and its supporters to create this local Montreal brand image, made by Montrealers, to state that we are here to stay”, said club co-creative Justin Kingsley.
Radio Canada announced in December that the team would change its name to Montreal FC raising the ire of a range of groups from Parti Quebecois politicians to the club's Ultra fans.
New team president Kevin Gilmore has pushed for modernization. He has said before that the Impact should behave like the big-market soccer clubs -- the type of clubs that often have much simpler names.
The Montreal Impact Ultras launched a petition to halt any talk of a name change and garnered over 2,000 online signatures on change.org.
The supporters' association said the 28-year history of the name dates back to Montreal's North American Soccer League days.
"During this time the name has become loved by the Impact fans and is an important part of our identity," reads a statement from the association. "The Association des Supporters does not see any justification for changing our beloved name especially as a marketing decision taken without the consultation of the most important element of the club, its fans!"
Owner Joey Saputo addressed fans directly Thursday.
"I understand how you feel. I love the Impact," he said. "But the reality is this: to make an impact, we need to retire the Impact."
Montreal is the 10th MLS team to rebrand since the league's inception in 1996.