Jason deVos steps up at Canada Soccer

April 26 – Former Canadian men’s national team captain Jason deVos (pictured) has been named interim general secretary of Canada Soccer, the governing body announced on Tuesday.

He will take over from Earl Cochrane whose departure was confirmed last week. Last February, Nick Bontis stepped down as chairman amid a labour dispute with both the women’s and men’s national teams.

DeVos earned 49 caps with the national team from 1997-2004, but he has been with Canada Soccer for six years, currently serving as director of development.

“As a former player, I know and understand what it takes to compete, and enhancing the performance environment of our players will be a priority,” said deVos.

In a key role overseeing day-to-day operations, the former captain will have to steer Canada Soccer to calmer waters. The organisation has received criticism over its relationship with its commercial partner Canadian Soccer Business. This year national team budgets were slashed with the women’s side threatening a strike at the SheBelieves Cup. Chief marketing officer Sandra Gage was fired and longtime communications director Richard Scott also exited.

DeVos’s transition team will also include Kelly Brown as interim vice-president, Mathieu Chamberland as chief operating officer, Sean Heffernan as chief financial officer and Paulo Senra as head of public relations and communications.

“We look forward to working alongside Jason and the transition team as we continue to work collectively towards building and growing the game in Canada,” said the organisation’s interim president Charmaine Crooks.

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