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Canada Soccer: Parliamentary committee deal with Canadian Soccer Business

Canadian Soccer has been asked by Friday to submit a copy of its controversial agreement with the Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) to the Canadian Heritage Standing Committee.

A parliamentary committee has called on Canadian Soccer to attend an upcoming conference, and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather previously said it would take into account the ongoing labor stalemate with the men’s and women’s national teams. , said the governing body should be moved to the “top of the list.” soccer team.

The Heritage Committee has already received a copy of the Canadian Football Board Meeting Minutes dating back to January 2018. ”

Tuesday’s motion by Housefather said, “As part of the Commission’s safe sport investigation, the Commission is asking Soccer Canada to provide unredacted copies of all contracts, including but not limited to representation agreements with Canadian soccer businesses. He ordered the creation of

“This is to ensure that we have this very important document available before Soccer Canada speaks with us,” Housefather said.

Canadian Soccer should have the documentation available.

“We have the same powers as the courts,” Housefather said in an interview.

The motion calls for documents to be submitted to the secretary of the committee by noon (ET) Friday. Translation of the document will take about two weeks, Julian said.

Julian’s request for additional minutes was added to the motion and passed without objection.

Canadian Soccer said it plans to meet the Commission on March 20. Members of the women’s team may attend committee meetings on alternate days.

Canada’s women’s teams are seeking the same support the men received prior to last year’s Qatar Games in preparation for this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. And they want Canadian Soccer to open a book and explain the cuts to both men’s and women’s programs this year, including a deal with Canadian Soccer Business.

Fresh off their first World Cup appearance in 36 years, Canadian men and Olympic champion women are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

A Canadian man boycotted a friendly match against Panama scheduled for Vancouver last June due to a labor stalemate.

The Canadian women briefly went on strike ahead of the recent SheBelieves Cup in Florida, but threatened legal action by Canada Soccer forced them to return to the pitch.

Canadian Soccer said the player “was not, and is not, in a legal strike position under Ontario Labor Law”.The women played a four-team tournament under protest. .

Nick Bontis stepped down as president of Canadian Football on Monday, admitting that “this moment needs change”. He resigned in the wake of letters from state and territory football leaders asking him to resign in view of the bitter labor dispute.

The committee still wants Bontis to appear.

CSB primarily markets Canadian football products on and off the field through broadcast and sponsorship deals. A fixed amount is paid annually to the board and the remainder goes to the Canadian Premier League.

The ‘representation agreement’ with Canadian Soccer was for a period of 10 years. CSB’s CEO and Canadian Premier League commissioner Mark Noonan said the potential extension could see him last another five years.

Canadian Soccer, which does not hold an ownership interest in CSB, is currently reportedly receiving between $3 million and $4 million annually as a “royalty guarantee beneficiary.”

Noonan did not elaborate on the financial arrangements, but said the annual guarantee was “three times what Canadian football was doing commercially in 2018 when no one was willing to take the risk.” Says.

Canadian Soccer saw the deal, announced in March 2018, as short-term pain for long-term gain. But it soon became apparent that both hands were tied in terms of winning the financial prize of the women who won gold at the Olympics and the men returning to the World Cup after 36 years to toast the CONCACAF. got it.

Canadian Soccer has repeatedly said that pay equity will be a pillar of its new labor contract.


This report by the Canadian Press was first published on February 28, 2023.

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