June 28 – With the country due to co-host the men’s World Cup in just three years’ time, Canada Soccer has been plunged into financial turmoil with its interim general secretary, Jason de Vos, warning it may need to consider filing for bankruptcy protection.
“We are in a real struggle. It’s not imminent, but we need to explore what bankruptcy entails and how it might affect our organization,” De Vos told Canadian broadcaster TSN.
“We don’t have enough revenue coming in for the programmes that need to be run, and that includes everything from grassroots coach education and referee development to youth national teams and our senior men’s and women’s teams.
“… [Bankruptcy] has been discussed, but not in the sense of this is a strategy or this is something that we’re looking at. It’s been discussed more from my own perspective to learn about it. It is absolutely the last option that I want to consider or even think about. But I would be remiss if I didn’t do my due diligence on this.”
Canada Soccer has already been investigated by the Canadian parliament because of poor governance and allegations of abuse. Earlier this year, the country’s minister for sport, Pascale St-Onge, ordered an audit into the federation because of a “lack of financial transparency”.
But the reality is if there is no money, no matter how many political points are looking to be scored.
The news comes as Canada’s women’s team, the reigning Olympic champions, prepare for next month’s World Cup. The men’s team are currently competing in the Gold Cup in the United States.
Canada’s men reached their first World Cup since 1986 last year to widespread euphoria but their coach, John Herdman, believes Canada Soccer’s troubles could have a negative effect on their preparations for 2026.
“We brought a World Cup to our country and we’re not serious about winning it,” Herdman said after the Nations League final loss to the US in Las Vegas earlier this month, having promised to deliver something “special” four days earlier.
“We’ve got to get real, and quick … It’s not a secret the organisation has been suffering financially,” he said.
Canada opened their Gold Cup campaign last night with a 2-2 against Guadeloupe in Toronto. If there was an opportunity to galavanise Canada’s growing fanbase behind the team and Canada Soccer, it was an opportunity lost.
The women’s team went on strike earlier this year over pay equity issues and while Canada Soccer has been in negotiations with the men’s and women’s senior teams about a new collective bargaining agreement, a deal has yet to be struck.
“I still think of myself as a player, and I want the national teams to know that I’m on their side,” De Vos said.
“I need for them to understand we only have so much money and there’s only so much we can give them. I don’t want to have to take money from programming resources to provide more compensation. I know the players understand that, but they also want what they feel they deserve.”
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