The Canadian men’s soccer team refused to play a scheduled World Cup warm-up match against Panama amid a contractual dispute between the players and the national governing body of the sport.
Canada Soccer confirmed that the game, scheduled for Sunday at Vancouver’s BC Place, was canceled less than two hours before the start. Hundreds of disappointed fans dressed in white and red uniforms stood outside the stadium after the news.
The Canadian players issued a statement on Sunday afternoon saying they had decided not to play the game because negotiations on a new deal had been “unnecessarily lengthy”.
“It’s time to take a stand on the future of football in Canada,” the statement said, adding that talks began in March.
Players say they want more transparency in Canada Soccer, changes in the organization’s leadership and a World Cup compensation that includes 40% of the prizes and a “complete package of friends and family” for the Cup of the Qatar World 2022.
“We want to work together with our organization, but the relationship has been going on for years,” the statement said. “And now, Canada Soccer has disrespected our team and jeopardized our efforts to raise standards and effectively advance the game in Canada.”
The proposal put forward by the players is not financially viable, said Canada Soccer President Nick Bontis.
“My job as president is a responsibility to the fiduciary and stable health of this organization, not only for the last 120 years we have been alive, but for the next 100 years we will be alive,” he said. a press conference on Sunday afternoon. “And I can’t accept this offer that will put our organization in a financial position that is unsustainable.”
Players also want a review of the agreement Canada Soccer signed with Canadian Soccer Business in 2019. The 10-year agreement provides for Canadian Soccer Business to represent both the men’s and women’s national teams in all sponsorship and broadcast offers.
The players’ statement said the deal “completely compromised (Canada Soccer’s) ability to take advantage of the success on the field of our senior national teams.”
“We need the terms of this agreement to be disclosed and corrected,” he said. “We want to know who signed this agreement that handcuffed our association. Why has Canada Soccer given up the autonomy of the greatest opportunity to grow our program in years?
Bontis defended the deal, saying Canada Soccer Business has been “pivotal” in building the sport in Canada.
Canada Soccer Business President Scott Mitchell issued a statement Sunday night saying he “fully supports” Canada Soccer’s call for more transparency.
“We are proud of our agreement with Canada Soccer and what it means for the Canadian football ecosystem,” he said. “We are prepared to be completely transparent about our agreement, which has included an unprecedented amount of revenue for Canada Soccer in the last 18 months in the form of international media sponsorship and dollars.”
The players also demand an equitable compensation structure for the men’s and women’s teams, and the development of a women’s national league.
The United States Football Federation recently agreed on collective bargaining agreements that equaled the compensation of men’s and women’s teams for the first time.
Canada canceled a couple of training sessions scheduled for Friday and Saturday due to the contract dispute.
With the World Cup set to begin in November, the Canadians are wasting valuable time together on the field, Bontis said.
“I am sorry that the match did not take place today, not only for the fans. But I’m sorry for the coaching staff, for the coaching staff, “he said. “(Head coach) John Herdman, at the beginning of this window, did 16 training sessions with the national team from here in Qatar. That number has risen to 14 today.
“We can’t afford to miss these opportunities for our men to show the performance I know they are capable of when they go to Qatar.”
The men’s team has not played at home since beating Jamaica 4-0 in Toronto on March 27 and securing a place in the World Cup. It has been even longer since the team played in Vancouver, with its last appearance in March 2019, when Canada beat French Guiana 4-1 in the CONCACAF League of Nations standings.
Canada, ranked 38th in the world, is scheduled to start the CONCACAF Nations League match against No. 79 Curacao in Vancouver on June 9th.
“We want to apologize to our fans,” the players said in a statement. “Playing at home with your support is everything for us. We hope that Canada Soccer will take decisive steps to work with our team so that we can return to the field for our game (in Vancouver) on June 9. “
Canada Soccer could face fines if the men’s team withdraws from the League of Nations competition.
It’s a scenario the organization is still looking to avoid, Bontis said.
“If we cannot reach an agreement and the players refuse to play the Curaçao match, this will be a matter for CONCACAF to deal with under the auspices of FIFA,” he said. “But our intention has always been to continue to provide a solution as soon as possible.”
This is not the first time that Canada Soccer has canceled a match scheduled for the current international window. Canada was initially scheduled to host Iran in a friendly at BC Place on Sunday, but the match was widely criticized, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying it was “not a good idea” to invite the Iranian team to play.
An Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 on January 8, 2020, shortly after taking off from Tehran, killing 176 people, including 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents.
More than 40,000 tickets were sold for the Canada-Iran match before Canada Soccer canceled it on May 26. Panama was named as a substitute opponent on May 31.
Canada has not played in a World Cup since 1986. This year’s tournament will open on November 23 against No. 2 Belgium before facing No. 16 Croatia on November 27 and No. 24 in Morocco on December 1st.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 5, 2022.