Quick solutions are needed for financially troubled Canada Soccer, says men’s head coach Herdman
Canadian men’s soccer head coach John Herdman says it’s time for everyone to come together for a solution to Canada Soccer’s financial problems.
With a World Cup coming up in three years, he adds, it has to happen quickly.
TSN published an interview Monday in which Canada Soccer general secretary Jason deVos stated that the organization’s finances have deteriorated to the point that it should eventually consider filing for bankruptcy protection. In addition, both senior national teams may not play in international windows this fall.
Herdman spoke to reporters at BMO Field in Toronto on Monday ahead of Canada’s CONCACAF Gold Cup opener against Guadeloupe.
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“Obviously there is a financial challenge,” he said. “When I come from a World Cup, I think [everyone] expected it to be all sunshine and rainbows, there would be finances to take the team to the next level and it is not.
“That’s a leadership challenge for the organization, we need to find solutions and find them quickly. It’s not about finger pointing, the whole group needs to come together… to find a real solution, to make sure our country can to perform.
“These players have earned that right. The staff have earned that right. We cannot go backwards after a World Cup, but we do understand that expectations in this country have gone up.”
Football North is back with a focus on Canada’s women’s team preparing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Join host Andi Petrillo and special guests every Friday for insight and analysis leading up to the tournament.
Canada Soccer and its men’s and women’s teams have been embroiled in a labor dispute for over a year. The women’s team will report to a pre-tournament camp in Australia’s Gold Coast on Wednesday.
The women have been without an employment contract since the last one expired at the end of 2021. The men are working on their first formal employment contract.
Both teams have taken action: the men are boycotting a scheduled friendly match in Vancouver against Panama in June 2022 over their dissatisfaction with the progress of labor talks; while earlier this year the Canadian women threatened to strike at the SheBelieves Cup in the US
The women’s team returned to the field after Canada Soccer threatened legal action.
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In recent weeks, members of Canada Soccer’s executive group have been called to testify before the House of Commons’ permanent heritage committee, where parliamentarians challenged members of the organization over its controversial Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) broadcasting deal.
Under the terms of the deal, CSB Canada Soccer will pay a fixed amount each year and keep the remainder, which will fund the Canadian Premier League.
Canada enters Gold Cup and has left key players behind
Herdman’s team go into the Gold Cup without some of its biggest stars after falling short of its first trophy since 2000, losing 2-0 to the USA in the Nations League final on June 18.
But the team announced earlier Monday that Stephen Eustaquio and Samuel Adekugbe have been replaced by Jayden Nelson and Liam Fraser in the lineup.
The 47th-ranked Canadians head to Shell Energy Stadium in Houston to play No. 116 Guatemala on July 1 and No. 165 Cuba on July 4 in Group D.
Canada is 2-1-0 all-time against Guadeloupe and has not lost at BMO Field since September 2010 when they were beaten 2-0 by Peru.
‘They have to be resilient in these moments’
However, Herdman is pleased with the commitment and energy his team has shown leading up to the tournament and wants them to continue to evolve.
“I think they have to grow during the tournament,” he said. “From what I’ve seen from the first three days of training, it’s not cohesive yet, it’s not going well and that’s normal for a group that is new to each other.
“They have to stay positive, they have to be resilient in these moments, because Guadeloupe has quality and that quality will test them.”
“As I said to the boys, by the group stage you want to have your nine points in your pocket,” said Herdman. “The best in the group, that’s the key, so you decide your fate.
“How you get those nine points is a growth, it’s a journey. I don’t expect perfection… My expectation is: embrace the fight to come. Stick together, live what you can and the tactical identity you have learned. and play fearlessly.”
