MONTREAL — Defender Laurent Ciman is about to get his chance to take revenge on the Montreal Impact.
One of Remi Garde's first moves when he took over as coach of the Impact was to trade Ciman, who was one of the team's most popular players. Ciman can prove Garde wrong when his new team — Los Angeles FC — visits Saputo Stadium on Saturday.
The 32-year-old didn't hide his shock and disappointment at being traded by the club he joined in 2015, partly to experience life in Major League Soccer but moreso because Montreal offered better treatment for his autistic daughter than she was getting in his native Belgium.
But Garde cast a critical eye on the Impact squad that finished well out of the playoffs last season, particularly a defence whose 58 goals allowed ranked among the league's worst.
On Dec. 12, Ciman was sent to MLS newcomers LAFC for two players who had been selected in the expansion draft —midfielder Raheem Edwards and left back Jukka Raitala. Garde has since restocked the central defence with French veterans Rod Fanni and Rudy Camacho.
"I watched a lot of games and I listened a lot to all the people who were with this football club for a long time and I thought that it was the best decision," Garde said Thursday of the Ciman deal.
Ciman looks to have adapted well in Los Angeles, where the club is 3-2-0 despite playing all its games on the road ahead of a move into a new US$350-million stadium on April 29. He won't be lacking in motivation to put on a show in his first game back in Montreal.
"It's always special when a player faces his former club," said Garde. "It's not the first time it's happened.
"Personally, I'm focused on my team. I'm not getting ready to face one player, I'm preparing to face a team that is on form, that has had a good start to the season, and that's my priority. It's a special situation for the fans, who got to know Laurent Ciman well. I'm not denying that. But I'm focused on my team."
Ciman gave the Impact a huge boost when he left Standard Liege ahead of the 2015 MLS campaign, helping them to the CONCACAF Champions League final and a spot in the MLS playoffs. He was named MLS defender of the year and a league all-star.
In his second season, he helped Montreal reach the Eastern Conference final, where they lost in overtime to Toronto FC.
But his play slipped a notch last season and Garde, with a mandate to make the Impact younger and fitter, decided he would not be part of the rebuilding plan.
Impact fans were aghast to lose a player who, along with his wife Diana, had become part of the community. He was a favourite of the Saputo Stadium crowd, who called him 'The General' for his leadership on defence. Ciman retweeted many of the angry fan responses to the deal on social media.
But the Belgian international had already hinted that he may not be with the club forever. He had one year left on his contract and told Belgian media that while he hoped to stay in Montreal, he may end up elsewhere in MLS.
That came sooner than he imagined. It also surprised the Impact players, who looked to Ciman as a leader on and off the pitch.
"He's probably one of the best passing centre backs in the world," said fullback Chris Duvall. "For him to make it into the Belgian national team is amazing.
"And some of the passes he hits, even during games, I'd be surprised sometimes when the ball hit my foot. So that's a talent that's hard to match."
Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press
