Veteran Kei Kamara desperately wanted to make a long-term commitment with CF Montreal, but had to resign himself to asking for a trade when the Montreal team refused to negotiate the terms of his next contract.
This is what he said in a video he posted on his Instagram account on Friday evening.
The 38-year-old forward, who trained with Bleue Blanc Noir on Friday, described his adventure in Montreal as a “love story”. He reiterated several times how much he enjoyed playing and living in Quebec City.
Kamara even wanted to retire as a member of the team and have his family, who currently live in the United States, settle in Montreal.
When he met the club’s staff in October, he received an offer of a two-year contract. After receiving a meager base salary of $84,000 in 2022, he asked to negotiate certain terms of this new agreement.
We made a counter offer, while my wife and I were looking for a new home and a school for our children [à Montréal], is completed. We were told it could not be negotiated. I had to accept the offer on the table.
“I replied that this offer was not enough to convince my family and I to settle in Canada.”
Kamara considers that he handled this whirlwind situation “with respect” and promised to honor his contractual obligations while waiting for the trade.
“I’m still under contract with Montreal and I’m here to honor that agreement. I’ll do whatever they want as long as I’m under contract. I’m part of the team.”
“Evil thinker. Music scholar. Hipster-friendly communicator. Bacon geek. Amateur internet enthusiast. Introvert.”