Following the release issued earlier today by the Team Owners Association (TOA), Montreal Impact President Joey Saputo made the following statement:

"I wish to reiterate that there are still ongoing talks between the Montreal Impact and the USL. We continue working on different options for the 2010 season, including the possibility that the Impact take part in the USL-1 or in a new league. We created the Team Owners Association in January 2008 in order to take our destiny in our own hands, as is the case in any other league worldwide. It is already November 10 and we needed to submit to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) an application for the creation of a new league for this option to remain viable."

Saputo has send out and additional statement at 4:30 p.m. et:

"Montreal is fully committed to its fellow teams and to the new league application. As Chairman of the Team Owners Association (TOA), I can say that myself and every TOA member has always been open to discussions with the USL, which would give the teams the requisite ownership and control over our league. However, since USL has historically and currently been unwilling to grant us that necessary ownership and control, we have applied to launch a new league and that endeavour has my personal attention and commitment."