FC Supra looks to player development as inaugural CPL season reaches halfway point
Halfway through its first Canadian Premier League season, FC Supra du Québec is outlining the next phase of its development, including plans for a reserve team in 2027 and a future academy aimed at developing young Quebec players.
In a mid-season update released August 6, the club also reviewed several milestones from the first half of its inaugural campaign, which has included matches in Montreal, Laval and Quebec City and a run to the quarter-finals of the 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship.
FC Supra joined the Canadian Premier League as its first Quebec-based club and began playing this season after officially launching in September 2025.
Club reviews first half of inaugural season
According to FC Supra, its first-team roster is composed entirely of homegrown players, reflecting the club’s stated objective of providing opportunities for Quebec talent.
The club sold out its first home game at Montreal’s CEPSUM Stadium and has since brought CPL matches to three venues across the province, including Stade Boréale in Laval.
Eight Supra players have also earned spots on the CPL’s Gatorade Team of the Week so far this season: Diyaeddine Abzi, Charles Auguste, Alessandro Biello, Matisse Chrétien, David Choinière, Loïc Kwemi, Safwane Mlah and Sean Rea.
Several players have received individual league recognition. Rea was named CPL Player of the Month for April, while Biello received the league’s U-21 Player of the Month award for the same month.
Kwemi also recorded what the club says was the fastest hat-trick in CPL history during a 3-2 comeback victory and was subsequently named Matchweek 14 Player of the Week.
“Our first season has been about much more than results,” FC Supra president and co-founder Rocco Placentino said in the club’s statement.
“We built a club from the ground up, introduced professional soccer to new communities at home, and watched our supporters across the province embrace this project. This is truly only the beginning.”
Reserve team planned for 2027
One of the most significant developments announced by FC Supra involves the creation of a reserve team.
Beginning in 2027, the club intends to enter the team in one of Quebec’s semi-professional leagues. The reserve side would provide players aged 17 and older with an intermediate level of competition between youth soccer and FC Supra’s professional first team.
Sporting director Mateo Cabanettes said the project is intended to provide high-potential players with additional competitive experience before making the transition to professional soccer.
“Having a reserve team, along with access to broader development opportunities, marks an important evolution for our club,” Cabanettes said.
“We are working to build a complete development pathway for talent in Quebec.”
FC Supra Academy also in development
The organization is also planning an FC Supra Academy for younger players.
According to the club, the academy would operate through a hybrid community model involving partnerships with grassroots soccer clubs rather than functioning solely as a separate development structure.
FC Supra says additional information about the academy is expected to be released by the end of August.
The announcement follows other community initiatives undertaken by the club this summer, including visits by FC Supra players and staff to partner soccer clubs across Quebec.
International connection with French club
Placentino has also taken on the position of Executive Director of International Relations and Player Development with FC Chambly Oise, a club competing in France.
FC Supra says the role is expected to expand its international network and encourage knowledge-sharing between the organizations, while potentially creating development opportunities for Quebec players.
The extent and structure of those potential opportunities have not yet been detailed.
