CPL, CS Saint-Laurent issue statements denying report that promotion talks fell apart due to expansion fee
CS Saint-Laurent, a semi-professional club in Ligue1 Québec, is once again the centre of attention in the Canadian football world and not for their play on the pitch.
On Thursday, journalist Maxime Truman of DansLesCoulisses reported on BPM Sports that CS Saint-Laurent had secured a North American investor to help in their bid to expand into the CPL. The Wanderers Notebook had also previously reported that the club was in talks with the league to discuss potential promotion from Ligue1 Québec and had garnered interest from several investors. However, Truman further stated that the club and league held discussions but, allegedly due to an expansion fee which climbed from $7 to $14 million, CS Saint-Laurent walked away.
Truman also said that, in the aftermath of negotiations, the CPL reached out to CS Saint-Laurent's investor to offer Valour FC as a potential investment opportunity.
Now, both the club and league are refuting Truman's report.
CS Saint-Laurent issued a statement Thursday night, denying any involvement in CPL expansion negotiations. The Wanderers Notebook, however, stands by its previous reporting.
"CS Saint-Laurent has not participated in any discussions, formal or informal, with the CPL regarding an expansion in the league, nor in any negotiations with investor groups on this subject. Our priority remains solely the development of our semi-professional team and the continued growth of the sport within our community," read the statement.
"Reports suggesting that CS Saint-Laurent and a group of North American investors pulled out of an expansion due to increased costs are incorrect. We have always maintained an open and positive relationship with Canadian soccer organizations and continue to work together to support the sport at all levels."
The club added they remain committed to promoting and fostering local football talent through their grassroots and semi-professional programs.
When asked for comment following Truman's coverage, the CPL's senior director of communications, Laura Armstrong, also denied the report.
"A recent media report suggesting both CS St. Laurent and an unnamed investor group backed out of a potential agreement to bring the club into the Canadian Premier League because of rising expansion fees is categorically false, as is the suggestion that said investor group was subsequently offered the opportunity to purchase a current CPL club at a reduced rate," she wrote in an emailed statement.
Although there are several moving parts to this story, sources told The Wanderers Notebook that the league and club did hold informal talks some months ago. However, due to several factors, any discussions have been dormant for some time. Multiple sources also confirmed that the CPL has set the expansion fee for prospective ownership groups above $10 million.
CPL commissioner Mark Noonan has said publicly that he expects to double the size of the league in the next 10 years and that the Province of Québec remains a priority. During his pre-season media tour, he also said there’s roughly 15 or so groups in conversations with the league, with two to three groups having signed NDAs in Québec.
But until groups have their venues sorted, the CPL is ready to wait.
“We’re only going to expand when we have the conditions to be successful and those conditions are challenging in Canada, to be blunt,” Noonan told The Wanderers Notebook in April.
Valour FC was also contacted for comment.
Cover Photo Credit: CS Saint-Laurent
