After being eliminated from the W Canadian Championship, the Montreal Roses took decisive action by parting ways with their inaugural head coach, Robert Rositoiu. Marinette Pichon, the club’s sporting director, released a statement on Thursday expressing gratitude for Rositoiu’s role in establishing the professional women’s soccer club. The decision to make a coaching change was described as a difficult but necessary step to inject new energy into the team for the remainder of the season and future growth.
Despite holding the second spot in the Northern Super League (NSL) with 27 points and 10 regular-season matches remaining, the Roses decided on the coaching change. Rositoiu was appointed head coach in September 2024 in preparation for the team’s debut season in the NSL in 2025.
In light of Rositoiu’s departure, Maryse Bard-Martel, the team’s former first assistant coach and head of goalkeeping, will step in as the interim head coach. The club is actively seeking a permanent replacement for Rositoiu. Bard-Martel’s first task as interim head coach will be overseeing the upcoming game against AFC Toronto.