It has been two weeks since Nick De Santis was let go as the Sporting Director of the Montreal Impact. The writing had been on the wall for De Santis who had come under increasing scrutiny from Montreal Impact supporters over the last couple of months. With the Impact sitting in dead last in the MLS standings, something had to give. De Santis became an easy target for supporters after the lack of activity last off-season and the sequential demise of the club in the MLS standings.
Better Times:
Nick De Santis began his journey with the Montreal Impact back in 1993 as a player. During his time as a player at the club he won a League Championship in 1994 and three regular season Championships in 1995, 1996, 1997. De Santis played for the Impact for a total of ten years, retiring in 2003. The Montreal-born midfielder left the Impact having scored a total of 21 goals in 219 career games. From 2004-2008 De Santis took on the role of Head Coach leading the Impact to 63 victories in 112 games. The career progression continued upwards for Nick and in 2008 he became the Technical Director of the Montreal Impact, and finally in 2011 he became the Sporting Director.
Although De Santis had proven himself as one of the best players for the Montreal Impact in the A-League and at the NASL level, taking the next step to the MLS was difficult. In a league where having expert knowledge of North American talent is paramount, the Impacts’ desire to build through European based players was always going to be an uphill challenge.
What do the Impact Need ?
The firing of Nick De Santis will force the Impact to re-evaluate the front office structure and the long-term needs of the team. First and foremost, the Impact need to create stability within the organization. The club is now on it’s third manager in three years and cannot afford another one. Montreal has already given up on two promising coaches and flip-flopped between different tactical philosophies. The role Nick De Santis played in these changes is debatable, however there is no doubt he was at the table when final decisions were made. The Impact of all of these changes has finally caught up to the team and the players this season.
The next Sporting Director needs to help stabilize the Impact from the bottom up. This includes everything from the academy teams, reserve team, first team, scouting network, and beyond. The evaluation of internal and external talent needs to be evaluated rigorously and a long-term plan needs to be put in place.
Although Joey Saputo and the Montreal Impact have been quick in the past to pull the trigger on player and personnel, this time they need to get it right. Good faith and trust must be restored from top to bottom in the organization and it all starts with the next Sporting Director. The Montreal Impact are at a crossroads, and the next turn this franchise takes will undoubtedly be their most important in their MLS history. Toronto FC have already demonstrated what constant turnover in the front office can do to an MLS club: good leadership, experience, and stability are of the utmost importance.
Struggles Continue:
The Impact are coming off another loss on the weekend to the Philadelphia Union, stretching their MLS losing streak to 7 in a row. The Impact could finally have a new DP, Ignacio Piatti, in the lineup for this weekend’s matchup against Frank Klopas’ former team, the Chicago Fire. Montreal will try and swim closer to the surface to gain some much needed traction. With Nick De Santis no longer in a position of power at the Impact, the question becomes who is the next to be wrung through Saputo’s grater?
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @John_Richan. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Featured Image by Lucas Oleniuk (via Getty Images-Toronto Star)
