The results are in: Philippe Eullaffroy will remain in his position

CF Montréal has reportedly made a decision regarding the future of its head coach.

According to information I was able to obtain today, the Montreal club is expected to announce in the coming days that Philippe Eullaffroy will remain in his position at least until the end of the 2026 season. My colleague Nilton Jorge also received the same information this evening.

This decision would put an end to several weeks of speculation surrounding the identity of the man who will lead the team upon its return from the World Cup break. Although Eullaffroy now appears to have won the trust of management, he was far from the only candidate evaluated during the process.

I have been told that Davide Ancelotti was notably part of the hiring process. The son of the legendary Carlo Ancelotti met with Luca Saputo several weeks ago and was seriously interested in the Montreal project. However, he was also in talks with other European clubs, notably Lille and Lyon.

It is obviously impossible to know what would have happened if Ancelotti hadn't reached an agreement with Lille in the last few days. Would CF Montréal have accelerated the process? Would a formal offer have been made? Accepted? No one seems to have the answer to that question at the moment. Or no one seems willing to speak up.

One thing is certain, however: Ancelotti's name represented a very real option for the Saputo family's club.

That said, despite all the prestige associated with a name like Ancelotti, the decision to keep Philippe Eullaffroy in his position makes sense when you look at the team's recent results.

Since taking over as head coach, CF Montréal has looked much more competitive. The team seems better organized, the players appear to be buying into the coach's message, and, most importantly, the results are coming. In a sport where decisions are often made based on on-field performance, Eullaffroy has presented the best possible argument: wins.

Of course, the idea of seeing the son of one of the greatest coaches in soccer history arrive in Montreal was enough to make many fans dream. But in the end, Montreal fans want to see a successful team, regardless of the coach's name. Especially since coaches from Europe haven't been all that successful in Montreal over the past decade…

It's often said that the field speaks for itself. In Philippe Eullaffroy's case, the field has spoken… and it seems to have convinced CF Montréal's management. Not bad for a guy who wasn't even a candidate to begin with…

Note that the Impact will resume training on Thursday at the Nutrilait Centre; so I expect an official announcement early next week.