Second of four thematic games for the club’s 25th anniversary
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will once again underline its 25th year of existence, on Monday, in a game against the LA Galaxy at 3pm (TVA Sports, TSN, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690), exactly 25 years after the first home game in club history, on May 21, 1993.
During this game’s halftime, five important figures from the three championships won by the club in North America’s second division in 1994, 2004, and 2009 will be presented on the field.
Head coaches Valerio Gazzola, Nick De Santis and Marc Dos Santos, as well as two players from the team’s 1994 edition, Rudy Doliscat, the final’s most valuable player, and Patrice Ferri, the team’s captain, will be honoured.
Valerio Gazzola was the second head coach in Impact history. He occupied the position from 1994 to 1997, and from 2000 to 2001, and was the first to lead the Bleu-blanc-noir to a playoff championship, thanks to a 1-0 victory in the final against the Colorado Foxes on October 15 at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard. He was also the first to lead the team to three consecutive regular season championships in 1995, 1996, and 1997.
Nick De Santis is part of the Montreal Impact’s inaugural edition. The former midfielder is third in club history for most starts and minutes played, and fourth for game-winning goals, among other records. After a playing career that spanned from 1988 to 2003, De Santis became head coach of the Bleu-blanc-noir, from 2004 to 2008, and then interim coach in 2011, winning the title in his first season following a 2-0 victory in the final on September 18 against Seattle. Technical director from 2008 to 2011, he’s the only one in club history to have won a playoff championship as a player, head coach, and technical director.
Marc Dos Santos was the Montreal Impact’s head coach from 2009 to 2011. He won the championship in his first season at the helm of the team, after a 6-3 victory over two legs against Vancouver. He was a finalist for the NASL’s Coach of the year award in 2009.
Rudy Doliscat played as a defender with the Impact from 1993 to 1998, after three seasons with the Montreal Supra. He was notably named most valuable player during the club’s first playoff championship in 1994, and won two regular season championships, in 1995 and 1996.
Patrice Ferri was the first captain in Impact history, in 1993, after successful spells in France with AS Saint-Étienne, RC Strasburg and Olympique Lyonnais. He was named on the first ever APSL All-Star team in 1993, and helped the club win the playoff championship in 1994.
