MONTREAL (AP) - Montreal’s Major League Soccer team is dropping its Impact nickname.
The team said Thursday it will rebrand as Club de Foot Montreal and go without a formal nickname, in the style of European clubs.
“I understand how you feel. I love the Impact,” owner Joey Saputo said during a news conference. “It’s hard to let go of things you love. But here’s the reality - to make an impact, we need to retire the Impact.”
The club replaced the Impact’s shield logo with a round black badge rimmed with blue and featuring a grey snowflake. Designer Justin Kingsley said the creative team wanted to hearken back to the 1976 Montreal Olympics and Expo 67.
The team also has a new slogan: “droit devant (always forward).”
Montreal made its MLS debut in 2012.
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