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Marco Schallibaum's status is unsurprisingly in doubt. Not that a rumour was going around about his situation with the club but the way the Montreal Impact ended the season, his credibility and competence took a toll.
Facing the media, only 24 hours after president Joey Saputo and sporting director Nick De Santis, Schallibaum did not argue against the fact that the club's last 2 months were bad
But what am I supposed to do, cry all day? This is our reality today.If I'm Joey Saputo or Nick De Santis, who've been here 20 years, I must ask what happened in the last months. I'm not afraid to face them. It's completely normal. If I cry all day, I stand no chance. I'm standing up for something I like. Then, we'll see.
As much as Schallibaum might like it in Montreal, the decision seems to be out of his control. His discourse, at the press conference, was more of a man who has just delivered his sales pitch to Saputo and De Santis.
Let's not forget that contractually speaking, Schallibaum's option in 2014 is automatically renewed with a playoff berth in 2013. That has never stopped any club to part way with its coach. I doubt that Schallibaum would have spoken to the media if it was a question of time until both parties part ways due to a contract disagreement.
I always said that I like Montreal, this stadium with these amazing supporters, but the choice is not mine. I spoke from the heart [to the front office], and we'll see what happens.
If there was a problem with Schallibaum the person, the Impact would not have waited long to let him go. Without surprise, the bad results over the last third of the season had the club doubt its coach. But what happened to that contract extension that would actually be a new 2-year contract?
Faits & Fictions: Schallibaum's contract
With the results of the last couple of months, neither the automatic extension or the "new contract" are assured for Marco Schallibaum. The club's doubt over their common future is an obvious indication of a schism between both parties.
The REAL question still remains unanswered and we might never get a definitive answer. How much of the blame can be distributed between Schallibaum, Saputo, De Santis and the players?
Joey Saputo is a passionate soccer fan and as an owner has always declared himself as a fan when it comes to the game.
Whatever clash of ideas there is, it has to be between Schallibaum and De Santis: the Coach vs the Architect. Coming with so little time to create his own squad, Schallibaum's mandate was to take the team built by the Sporting Director and make sure that the expected results follow at the end of the season.
If there is a clash of ideas and opinions between coach and director, Schallibaum must think that he did a good job with the players at his disposal. On the other side, De Santis must believe ,that the team he built, should not have went through a free fall.
While wanting to understand what happened during the last 2 months of the season, De Santis will also be evaluating the players
The coach is not the only person under evaluation.We have to evaluate the players and see if they brought us what we expected them too. We also have to look at whether the Champions League hurt us in the second half of the season, with its demands on the players and the depth of the roster.
The MLS is a very physical game and that takes its toll on players
I do not believe that this is a contract issue or a philosophical debate. It comes down to a coach wanting to prove his worth as a soccer mind and a director that does not believe that Schallibaum can take this team to next level.
Did Schallibaum underachieve with a strong squad?
Did the club overestimate the capacity of a talented squad over a full MLS season?
Insert your Question here --->
At the end, the blame has to be distributed evenly between the Impact's brain trust and the head coach. Neither are perfect but both have had a positive input to the season. Both sides need to focus on the long-term future of the club and not just think about winning now.