Due to a dire financial condition that might eventually result in bankruptcy, the Canadian men’s national team could be forced to skip the international windows.
Former Dundee United defender and interim general secretary Jason de Vos has drawn a bleak picture for players like Celtic’s Alistair Johnston and company that may prevent elite athletes from being able to represent their nation. Although de Vos claims that Canada Soccer’s financial position is becoming a “real struggle” and that declaring bankruptcy has already been considered, Canada was a participant in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The men’s team will play in the Gold Cup the next week, but the women’s squad will participate in the summer World Cup. However, both sides could be forced to skip forthcoming contests, including the balance of the year’s international windows. Due to a “lack of financial transparency,” it is thought that the federation “burned through” more than $4 million last year while an independent assessment was ongoing.
DeVos, the former head of Canada International, acknowledges that the income is just not there, but declares that declaring bankruptcy would be a last step. We are engaged in a serious fight, deVos stated in a TSN interview. Although it isn’t imminent, we still need to investigate what bankruptcy means and how it can impact our company. Our senior men’s and women’s teams, youth national teams, and referee development are just a few of the initiatives that can’t be funded because we don’t have enough money flowing in to support them.
“…[Bankruptcy] has been mentioned, but not in the sense that we are considering it or using it as a tactic. I’ve learned more about it through listening to more discussions about it. It is the exact last choice that I want to think about or even contemplate. But I would be negligent if I didn’t research this thoroughly.
DeVos expressed his compassion for the effect on the players, and Canada Soccer has been negotiating to establish new collective bargaining agreements with both senior national teams.
“I still see myself as a player,” he said, “and I want the national teams to know that I support them. They must realize that we can only offer them so much because of our limited resources, including money. I don’t want to have to deplete programming budgets to pay for increased salary. The players, I’m sure, are aware of it, but they also feel entitled to certain things.
Players that competed in a 2-0 loss to the USA on June 19 traveled in economy class on an Air Canada Rouge trip to Toronto following the match as a result of the budgetary crunch. Only transatlantic trips, according to deVos, are available for them to travel business class. “We wish we had the resources to fly all of our players in business class on every flight, but we can’t.” We’re not suggesting that you don’t deserve it or that you don’t need it. We cannot pay for it.