CIBC has long been a marquee sponsor of the Canadian Soccer Association, but the bank apparently has no problems with Toronto's new soccer stadium being named after the rival Bank of Montreal.

The chief operating officer of the CSA said CIBC, by virtue of its relationship with the association, had first crack at the naming rights. That was part of the CSA's deal with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which had bought the naming rights.

``CIBC were given first opportunity so we fulfilled all obligations,'' Kevan Pipe said Thursday from Ottawa. ``They were deeply appreciative of that opportunity to be first in line to consider that.

``It (the stadium) has always been identified as a totally separate project, so no conflict, no issues, no story, no nothing.''

Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment paid $10 million for naming rights as part of its contribution to the 20,000-seat, $64-million stadium near the Toronto waterfront. MLSE owns Toronto FC, the expansion Major League Soccer team that will be the stadium's major tenant, and will run the venue.

MLSE refused comment on a Toronto Star report Thursday that the BMO naming rights deal could be worth as much as $27 million over 10 years to MLSE. An MLSE spokesman said the company would comment once an agreement was finalized.

The stadium is due to debut May 11, with opening ceremonies and the Canadian under-20 team hosting a ``frontline, top-line, world-class opponent,'' Pipe said. The senior women's team will also probably have a game at the new venue in May.

The World Cup men's team probably won't play there until the fall of 2007 because of the restrictions on available dates in soccer's international calendar.

The stadium will be a key component in the world under-20 championships that Canada is hosting next summer.