There are five games left to turn this season into a success. That, in a nutshell, is the message behind the appointment of Kyt Selaidopoulos as FC Supra’s new head coach, replacing Nick Razzaghi.
That said, Selaidopoulos is not coming in simply to put out a fire. He has been brought in to help build a club that has only just celebrated its first year of existence.
“My objective is the long term,” the new head coach said. “We’ve already changed some things since I arrived. We’re going to put a vision in place, and we’re going to put a structure in place.”
Selaidopoulos has a profile and background that appear well suited to the mission entrusted to him by Supra. A longtime assistant to Bobby Smyrniotis at Forge FC, he spent six seasons in Hamilton, collecting trophies alongside his club. During his time on Forge’s coaching staff, the club won back-to-back CPL championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as consecutive CPL Shields as the league’s top regular-season team in 2024 and 2025.
That success has laid out a blueprint that Kyt Selaidopoulos intends to follow as he looks to take Supra to the upper reaches of the league.
“Forge’s success comes from the structure Bobby [Smyrniotis] put in place. All the decisions are made with his group and within that structure. At the end of the day, it’s his vision and his decision, but everything was discussed. In the CPL, you can’t operate with just one voice.”
The coach arrived in Montreal on his own. Razzaghi’s assistant, Ramtin Maherpour, was also let go and has not been replaced. The coaching staff will therefore consist of members already in place for the final five games of the season: Anthony Cornelli, Laurent Ciman and Florian Tertre, along with Davide Salvoni and Marius Lamblin.
An evaluation will then be conducted to determine what is needed, both within the coaching staff and in terms of the club’s overall operating structure.
The Sporting Director Role
Head coach is not the only title Kyt Selaidopoulos takes on in Montreal. He also becomes the Sporting Director of a club whose roster consists entirely of players from Quebec. The position had been vacant for several weeks following the departure of Mateo Cabanettes.
By replacing both Nick Razzaghi and Mateo Cabanettes, Kyt Selaidopoulos becomes the new leading figure in FC Supra’s sporting operations, although it is well known that club president Rocco Placentino and consultant Nick De Santis remain closely involved in the club’s day-to-day operations.
The presence of all three men in front of the media during the coach’s official unveiling illustrated and formalized that structure. And if there is a disagreement over the acquisition of a player, who has the final say and is ultimately accountable for the decision? Kyt Selaidopoulos, Rocco Placentino confirmed.
Taking on both roles could increase his workload, but it also fits naturally with the path Selaidopoulos has followed throughout his career. A Montreal native, he has extensive experience in Quebec soccer and player development. He spent more than a decade as Technical Director at CS Mont-Royal-Outremont, a prominent club in the Montreal area. At Forge FC, although Bobby Smyrniotis was the head of the sporting operation, Selaidopoulos was also involved in certain aspects of the club’s sporting management.
His move into the dual role at Supra therefore appears to be a logical next step in his professional development. It also aligns with the league’s broader approach of creating opportunities for coaches to take on expanded responsibilities.
On an Immediate Mission to Reach the Playoffs
Although the long-term vision was a recurring theme throughout Kyt Selaidopoulos’ introductory press conference, the immediate end to the season was not overlooked. The task of qualifying for the playoffs is a difficult one. FC Supra are eight points behind Vancouver FC and are coming off a heavy 6-0 defeat in Calgary.
The feeling that “the group was starting to lose belief,” according to Nick De Santis, accelerated Nick Razzaghi’s departure. Rocco Placentino, for his part, emphasized that the decision was not based solely on the result in Calgary, but was the product of a broader reflection on what was best for the club, both now and in the future.
Although difficult, a playoff berth is not impossible. FC Supra have two games in hand on fourth-place Vancouver FC. The Halifax Wanderers, who are one point ahead of Supra, have also played one more game.
Furthermore, Supra’s schedule appears relatively favourable for the final stretch of the season. At the very least, it features only matchups against direct competitors. FC Supra will face Inter Toronto twice, with the Ontario side also going through an uncertain stretch. Pacific FC and Vancouver FC will both travel to Stade Boréal, while Supra will finish the regular season on the road against Halifax.
Points earned against these direct rivals will be extremely valuable and could give Supra an almost unexpected chance at a late-season comeback.
To begin that playoff push, Kyt Selaidopoulos had “a good conversation with the group.” He felt his players were in a “good state of mind” and said the training session that followed “was good.”
“When a new coach comes in, the players want to prove things. We saw the intensity in training right away,” Rocco Placentino said.
The cards within the group therefore appear to have been reshuffled. Kyt Selaidopoulos has wasted no time getting down to business, and the first step comes in the club’s next match against Pacific FC.