CanMNT's PA accuses Canada Soccer of financial coercion
The Canada Men’s National Soccer Team Players Association released a statement on Friday morning accusing Canada Soccer of attempting to coerce them into accepting a reduced compensation package by failing to schedule any friendlies for the September international window.
The PA also asserts that Canada Soccer has threatened to not schedule the team's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches in November, which act as qualifiers for the 2024 Copa America.
"Canada Soccer has been quick to point the finger at us, blaming our refusal to accept a proposal that would reduce our per game compensation by as much as 70 per cent through a confusing and unfair system that would undermine the principles of pay equity that the Men's and Women's National Teams have worked hard to achieve," the statement read. "Canada Soccer is asking us to agree to this while fully acknowledging that it would not actually meaningfully improve the state of its financial affairs, and telling us that they will ask us to accept even less to play next year."
The team says that they still have yet to receive any payment for last fall's 2022 World Cup in Qatar and used the statement to once again criticize Canada Soccer's media sponsorship deal with Canada Soccer Business.
"As a team and as a nation, we are seeing the results that financial mismanagement and siphoning the key assets out of Canada Soccer through the Canada Soccer Business deal have had, and continue to have, on Canada Soccer's financial position," the statement read. "What is even more concerning is that if the CSB agreement were permitted to stay in place, Canada Soccer's financial issues, the damage to the men’s, women’s and youth national teams, and the threat of bankruptcy are all likely to get worse, for many years to come."
Canada's lone upcoming friendly is scheduled against Japan on Oct. 13.
The first leg of the Nations League quarterfinals are set for Nov. 16 and 17.