Montreal Impact players Matteo Ferrari and Patrice Bernier have both admitted their surprise at seeing head coach Jesse Marsch lose his job.
The 38-year old was told by club president Joey Saputo on the weekend that he is out after just one year as Impact coach in which he led the team to a better-than-expected 12 wins.
The decision to part company has been made by the Canadian club but it is a decision which has left Ferrari and Bernier both in shock.
"We're sad about Jesse but in football, things happen," Ferrari told the Montreal Gazette.
"Probably they were thinking of a different kind of football than Jesse proposed during the season.
"And probably they decided it was not enough because, they say we had a great season because it was our first season. But personally, the truth is, with the team we have, we should go to the playoffs this season. We didn't, so the club was thinking like I think. But that doesn't mean the fault is Jesse's. It's all the team."
Whilst Bernier added: "We were getting ready for practice and then we saw everybody coming into the room. We knew there was a press conference, but then they told us the coach wouldn't be back. It was a surprise and a shock because you don't expect that."
