Article author:
The Canadian Press
Neil Davidson
TORONTO — CANADA men's soccer teams form players union as compensation talks with Canadian soccer continue.
The player and his governing body are looking to sign a deal ahead of his World Cup in November in Qatar.
The men's players follow the lead of the Canadian women's team represented by the Canadian Football Players Association (CSPA).
The news came out Thursday from Canada Soccer, which said the Canadian men's national soccer team had "agreed to voluntarily approve" the Players' Association (CMNSTPA).
The Canadian Football Association said it will target players called up to men's national team camps from January 2021 onwards.
Canadian Football General Secretary Earl Cochrane said the players' association "creates a single point". Contact us now.
"It just streamlines things and makes things easier for us...we can have regular dialogue. Where do we go for answers?" and they know where to ask questions," he said in an interview.
"There is reason to be optimistic based on the fact that they have taken this step," he added. "And now I think it's just a matter of continuing what we were doing before, finding an agreement and getting to the point of achieving this well before Qatar."
Attempts were made to contact the law firm representing the player, without immediate success.
Canadian Soccer is waiting to hear from you about the latest offers for both men and women in late June. At the time, it said it was looking to "equalize issues related to player pool rewards, travel policies, and high-performance environment configuration" between the two teams.
Cochrane said both sides were back and forth asking and answering questions.
Qatar is Canada's second outing to the men's World Cup, following his 1986 tournament in Mexico, where Canada lost to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union.
And with FIFA paying competing teams millions of dollars, much is at stake for players today.
Dissatisfaction with the state of negotiations prompted the men to boycott a friendly against Panama scheduled for June in Vancouver, citing negotiations over a new contract as "unnecessarily protracted." listed in Players said they wanted more World Cup prize money and a "friends and family all-inclusive package" for the competition. was reportedly seeking an after-tax payment equivalent to 40% of his World Cup payment.
According to Canada Soccer, the June negotiations were handled by the players themselves. Now that the association has been set up, they can rely on legal representation where the state labor laws are in force.
There are many things at stake.
For the 2018 World Cup in Russia, FIFA gave his 32 participating teams a total of $791 million. This is a 40% increase compared to the 2014 tournament.
Of that amount, $400 million was paid out in prize money, with $38 million for the winning team, $28 million for the runner-up team, and a range of $24 million to $8 million for the third-place team. was. Each team that lost in the group stage.
Each qualified team also received $1.5 million in preparation costs. All teams were guaranteed at least $9.5 million for their participation.
Complicating matters is the contract between the Canadian football business and the Canadian football business. Canadian Soccer Business is responsible for all corporate partnerships and broadcast rights related to the core assets of Canadian Soccer Business. This includes the men's and women's national teams, as well as the Canadian Premier League.
FIFA's prize money is separate from that contract, which was billed as a 10-year contract when it was signed in 2018, but other issues involving the national team. is included.
Cochrane said the June discussion was solely about splitting his FIFA prize money.
"But really, in the course of these discussions, the ultimate question is where does the revenue come from and how do players get paid for what they do on the field? “Is it possible?” he said. "And sometimes there are conversations, just like with CSB."
Can the Canadian soccer business be re-opened to facilitate agreements?
"I cannot comment on that," Cochrane said. He said, "I'd like to wait and see how the negotiations go, until the negotiations are finalized."
The Canadian, currently ranked 43rd in the world, will play friendly matches against No. 49 Qatar on September 23 and No. 13 Uruguay on September 27. It will be held in Vienna. Last FIFA International window before heading to Qatar.
They also want to play in Qatar before facing world No. 2 Belgium on November 23rd.
Canadian coach John Hardman said he was not directly involved in player negotiations. But it is clear that he wants this matter to end sooner or later.
"It's an area that I've been fortunate enough to stay away from," he told The Canadian Press. “The organization [Canadian Soccer] has been able to position me so that the trust I have built with my players is not affected by this type of conversation.
"I hope there is progress. I really hope that when we reach the September [FIFA] window, we can focus on football. And I will have that conversation with the players." It's a very important window right now to dial all our energy into team connections and ultimately what we're doing on the field.
"There's no time to wait. There is not a single attention we can give other than to make the team perform in a way that will have an impact in the World Cup.”
Following Belgium, Canada will be in Group F on 27 November. No. 15 Croatia will play against No. 15 Croatia on December 1, and No. 22 Morocco on December 1.
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This Canadian Press report was first published on August 11, 2022
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