Garde Fired!

Montreal Impact today announced today they had parted company with Remi Garde, the club’s second-longest serving MLS coach. He is replaced by Colombian, Wilmer Cabrera, who was dismissed by the Houston Dynamo last week.

Despite a poor run of form lately, the news comes as a surprise, as the side heads down the final straight attempting to make play-off qualification for the first time in three seasons.

Assistant Joel Bats and physical trainer Robert Duverne are also relieved of their duties, but coach Wilfried Nancy and goalkeeping coach, Rémy Vercoutre will remain.

Remi Garde had an overall record of 28-30-9 with the Impact for a win percentage of 41.79%. In MLS only, it was 24-8-29 for a win percentage of 39.34%.

Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images

In comparison, Wilmer Cabrera at Houston left with a win percentage of 34.41 after 93 regular-season MLS games in charge since 2017. His overall record in MLS, including his time with Chivas USA is 41-58-28 giving a win percentage of 32.28%.

Cabrera steered Houston to success in last season’s US Open Cup, and took them to the 2017 Western Conference Final where they lost 0-5 on aggregate to Seattle Sounders. The Dynamo has struggled this season and currently lie below the play-off line in the West.

His 7th place finish with Chivas USA in 2014, was the highest in that club’s history. Chivas USA was dissolved at the end of the 2014 season.

The new man played 48 times for his country, scoring 3 goals. He played in the 1998 World Cup in France, and was a member of his country’s squad in 1990 in Italy, although he did not see game time.

Most of his club career was spent in his home country, most notably with America de Cali, for whom he played in excess of 300 times.

In another development, club favourite, Patrice Bernier will join the technical staff as an assistant.