Saputo Stadium

{{Infobox Stadium

| name = Saputo Stadium

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| logo_image = 200px

| image = 225px

| caption = Saputo Stadium in 2023

| address = 4750 Sherbrooke Street E

| location = Montreal, Quebec

| coordinates = {{coord|45|33|47|N|73|33|9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = Canada Montreal#Canada Southern Quebec#Quebec#Canada

| pushpin_relief = yes

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Montreal##Location in Southern Quebec##Location in Quebec##Location in Canada

| pushpin_label = Saputo Stadium

| pushpin_mapsize = 250

| broke_ground = April 18, 2007

| built =

| opened = May 18, 2008

| closed =

| publictransit = {{rint|montreal|metro|}} Montreal Metro:
{{rint|montreal|metro|1}} Viau
{{rint|montreal|metro|1}} Pie-IX

| expanded = June 16, 2012

| owner = Saputo Inc.

| operator = CF Montréal

| surface = Grass

| construction_cost = C$47 millionC$40 million = C$17 million (2008 opening) + C$23 million (2012 expansion){{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/Saputo+Stadium+renovations+will+marathon+until+June+Impact+boss+says/6716655/story.html|title=Saputo Stadium renovations will be "marathon" until June 16, Impact boss says|last=Philipps|first=Randy|date=June 3, 2012|publisher=The Gazette (Montreal)|access-date=June 18, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604001234/http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Saputo+Stadium+renovations+will+marathon+until+June+Impact+boss+says/6716655/story.html|archive-date=June 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|url=http://affaires.lapresse.ca/economie/quebec/201302/12/01-4620976-le-stade-saputo-a-coute-30-de-plus-que-prevu.php|title=Le stade Saputo a coûté 30% de plus que prévu |last=Dubuc|first=Andre|date=February 13, 2013|publisher=La Presse(Montreal)|access-date=February 13, 2013}}

| architect = {{ubl|Zinno Zappitelli Architectes (2008)|Provencher Roy + Associés Architectes (2012)}}

| structural engineer =

| services engineer = CIMA+ Engineering{{cite web|url=http://www.cima.ca/cgi-cs/cs.waframe.content?topic=40134&lang=2 |title=CIMA+ Engineering |publisher=Cima.ca |access-date=July 20, 2012}}

| project_manager =

| general_contractor = Broccolini Construction Inc.

| main_contractors = Dant Clayton Corporation

| former_names =

| tenants = CF Montréal (MLS) (2012–present)
Montreal Impact (NASL) (2008–2011)
Montreal Impact U23 (PDL) (2014)
Montreal Impact Academy (CSL) (2010–2012)
Canada men's national soccer team (2008–2010)
FC Montreal (USL) (2015–2016)

| seating_capacity = 19,619[https://www.impactmontreal.com/en/post/2019/04/12/whats-new-stade-saputo-2019 What's new at Stade Saputo in 2019] (April 12, 2019).

| dimensions = {{convert|110|x|70|yds|metres}}

}}

Saputo Stadium (French: Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montréal (formerly the Montreal Impact). The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's east side has a view of Olympic Stadium's inclined tower. It has a capacity of 19,619, making it the second-largest soccer-specific stadium in Canada, after BMO Field in Toronto.

Construction

The stadium cost {{CAD|link=yes|17 million}} (${{formatprice|{{Inflation|CA|17000000|2008}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}} dollars){{inflation-fn|CA}} to build, with $7.5 million paid by the Saputo family and the rest financed on a 25-year term.{{cite web|url=http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/stadium/stadium-expansion|title=Stade Saputo Expansion|publisher=www.impactmontreal.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314232948/http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/stadium/stadium-expansion|archive-date=March 14, 2015|df=mdy-all}} Saputo Stadium is now CF Montréal's administrative headquarters and also includes a training field, 34 corporate suites and full player welfare areas. The complex covers approximately {{convert|150000|m2|sqft}}. It was designed and fabricated by Dant Clayton Corporation and built by Broccolini Construction Inc.

The stadium features a natural grass playing surface and was reportedly preferred over BMO Field and its then-artificial turf by members of the Canada men's national soccer team.{{cite news |first=Morgan|last=Campbell|title=Natural Grass 'Not Hot on Radar' for BMO Field|url=https://www.thestar.com/Sports/Soccer/article/501277|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=September 18, 2008|access-date=September 18, 2008}} BMO Field has since installed a heated and irrigated hybrid (mixed artificial and natural grass) field.{{Cite web |title=BMO Field undergoes transformation into hybrid playing surface |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/bmo-field-undergoes-transformation-hybrid-playing-surface/ |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=www.sportsnet.ca}}

Anticipating a Montreal entry into Major League Soccer, plans were made to expand the stadium from its initial 13,034 capacity to 20,000 to cope with the anticipated boost in attendance.[http://www.fanatique.ca/impact/montreal2012+6149.html Montréal se joint à la MLS en 2012] (May 7, 2010). {{cite news |url=http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/soccer/201005/07/01-4278193-joey-saputo-montreal-aura-enfin-le-soccer-quil-merite.php|title=Joey Saputo: Montréal aura enfin le soccer qu'il mérite|publisher=La Presse Canadienne|date= May 7, 2010|first=Frédéric|last=Daigle|newspaper=La Presse }} The Quebec government put $23 million for the renovation and expansion of the stadium (the total cost of the stadium was therefore about $40 million). The construction plans went into effect after MLS granted Montreal their nineteenth franchise, which began play in the 2012 season.{{cite web |last=Freedman|first=Jonah|title="Passionate" Montreal named as 19th MLS city|publisher=MLSSoccer.com|date=May 7, 2010|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/passionate-montreal-named-19th-mls-city|access-date=May 7, 2010}}

Sports usage

The stadium welcomed its first Impact home game on May 19, 2008, a scoreless draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Impact's first goal in the stadium was scored by Rocco Placentino against the Charleston Battery on June 13, 2008. This also gave the Impact its first victory in the stadium, with a score of 1–0. The Impact's first game in the newly renovated and expanded Saputo was played on June 16, 2012, against the Seattle Sounders FC. The Impact won the game 4–1.

The only official international matches played at Saputo Stadium were two matches played by Canada men's national soccer team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF).