‘They never believed in us! You look everywhere, it’s written in English’: Marc-Antoine Dequoy after Alouettes win Grey Cup

HAMILTON – Marc-Antoine Dequoy didn’t take too kindly to the Canadian Football League and TSN’s treatment of the Montreal Alouettes and the French-speaking community in general.

The Alouettes’ player took advantage of an on-field interview conducted by RDS colleagues after his team’s 28-24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to set the record straight.

“They never believed in us! You look everywhere, it’s written in English,” he said of the signage on the Tim Hortons Field. Even on the TSN [TV] guide, it said Argos versus Blue Bombers.

“But you know what? Keep your English because we won these cups and then we’re going to [bring them] back to Montreal, Quebec. Because we’re ‘f…’ champions!”

In a press scrum a little later, he clarified his thoughts.

“We end up being the champions after all those who doubted us, it’s a childhood dream come true. You can doubt Quebecers and the Alouettes all you want. In the end, it’s not your predictions that win football games.”

Arriving back in Montreal on Monday morning Dequoy was asked about his rant and whether he had planned it.

“We just tried to stay focused, you don’t let those things affect you. You want to stay in the game plan, but I just felt that the French language was not respected and it’s nothing against the English. The comment I said was mostly about you can keep the English signage. It’s supposed to be that. When you’re live after a victory, it’s hard to actually have the right words,” he told media as he got off the plane.

Head coach Jason Maas also returned to the doubts many observers had about his club.

“I said it before we played the Argos: let the prognosticators make their predictions,” he said. “When you look at our team and what we did at the end of the season, we were one of the hottest teams at the end of the season. We ended up winning eight games in a row. In the CFL, you usually have to give more respect to the team that comes into the playoffs on such a hot streak.”

“Plus, we’ve won 11 games this season. It’s not like we’re a bad team to begin with. Let them predict what they want: I know the value of our team, the players I can count on. (…) I’ll always believe in this group when it works the way it has and when these players play for their teammates. That’s how you become invincible.”

Guard Kristian Matte was the only player to win the Alouettes’ last Grey Cup in 2010. He found that his patience paid off.

“But I’d like to repeat that more often! It’s an incredible feeling right now.”

“Since the beginning of the year, we believed in ourselves. We knew that every day, if we worked hard, we’d be successful. Last week, we struggled a bit more offensively, but we did what we had to do and were successful (…) We were saving our best game for last!”

The 38-year-old veteran doesn’t know if he’s played his last game, but the emotions he’s experienced over the past week give him the desire to keep going.

“I feel good. I think I’ve played well,” he said.

“It’s something I’ll discuss with my family and the organization, but I’ll tell you right now, I feel like going on. I won’t say it right away, but…” added Matte, holding up two fingers, as if to signify that he’d like to win a second in a row.

One thing at a time: for now, the Alouettes will hold their victory parade on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. starting at Crescent and de Maisonneuve, and ending at the Quartiers des Spectacles for a fan party. The team will be back in Quebec on Monday.

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 20, 2023.