Latest news with #TFC


Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
MLSE boss says cutting Italian stars loose offers opportunity for MLS franchise
TORONTO – In opening the MLSE vault to bring in Italian stars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi midway through the 2022 MLS season, Toronto FC looked to change the struggling franchise's fortunes. It didn't happen. This week, the 4-10-5 team cut bait with the two designated players, agreeing to a mutual termination of contracts that ran through July 2026 for Insigne and December 2028 for Bernardeschi (who had previously triggered a contract extension). In other words, they agreed to a contract settlement less than the total money owed. Keith Pelley, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, sees the move as a necessary stepping-stone in the team's rebuild. 'The importance of the DP strategy in MLS is critical,' he said in an interview. 'And unfortunately, in the greatest of intentions, this strategy of bringing two high-profile Europeans doesn't fit the ethos of the club and our on-field identity going forward. So this provides us with the flexibility and the opportunity to make the changes that we believe are needed to make us a contender on an annual basis for the MLS Cup.' It comes with a massive bill, even for MLSE. The two players earned more than $64 million combined (all figures in U.S. dollars), not counting the unspecified contract settlement, since their debut. That outlay produced 22 regular-season wins and a long-distance view of the playoffs. Insigne and Bernardeschi, who played under four different coaches often with less-than-stellar service, combined for 45 goals and 40 assists in 175 games across all competitions in TFC colours. The departures leave Toronto with two open designated player spots, with the option of a third depending on what balance the club wants between DPs and U-22 initiative signings. GM Jason Hernandez says the club now has options. 'We just haven't had that conversation in quite some time because we were locked into a certain path. And now we no longer are. So it's a very different landscape today.' With the summer transfer window opening July 24, TFC is already eyeing new talent. Pelley said coach Robin Fraser was reviewing film of a possible target Tuesday night. And Hernandez said his phone has been busy since news of the Italians' departure broke. In cutting the Italians loose, TFC frees up their salary cap hits — pegged at $743,750 apiece, the maximum salary cap charge for a designated player — as well as half of the general allocation money involved. Pelley, who took charge of MLSE in April 2024, says despite the size of the payout, there will be funds to find new talent. 'I'm not going to get into the financials but it's a strong statement from ownership to allow us to negotiate a settlement with both players,' he said. 'We now will turn our attention to making the right move for the right player and to change the DP strategy moving forward.' Added Hernandez: 'I think the commitment will continue in the investment space. It will just be dedicated and allocated much more efficiently.' With a salary of $15.4 million, Insigne ranked second on the MLS pay scale behind only Lionel Messi's $20.5 million. Bernardeschi ranked sixth at $6.295 million. The next highest-paid Toronto player is Norwegian striker Ola Brynhildsen at $1,629,610. Seven players are earning less than $100,000. Fraser suggested the salary discrepancy between the Italians and the rest of the squad did not help foster team spirit. 'If the salaries are closer to being in line with the rest of the group — or even the rest of the league — I think it builds more of a team feeling,' Fraser said. 'And that's the thing that's really important — being able to make sure that the team functions like a team.' 'The key is that whatever we do in terms of spending, we need to bring in people that are going to continue to enhance the team feeling,' he added. 'Just by the disparity of salaries alone, there can be a sense of a great division within the team.' Norwegian defender Sigurd Rosted, however, had a different view. 'To be honest, players don't think about paycheque at all. That's more media, you guys, and probably the fans as well,' said Rosted, whose salary of $805,000 works out to about five per cent of Insigne's pay 'As teammates they always did everything they could for the club. They always worked hard,' he added. 'So as players they were amazing. As individuals they were amazing as well, so of course we're going to miss them.' Talks had been ongoing with Insigne's camp for 'probably a few transfer windows,' said Hernandez. But transfers to clubs in Italy, Spain, Turkey and Brazil were not accepted. Talks with Bernardeschi, meanwhile, started 'the last several weeks.' 'Both happened to come to fruition at the same time,' said Hernandez, who was promoted to GM from assistant GM in June 2023. Bill Manning, who oversaw the acquisition of the Italians as team president, was fired in July 2024. For Fraser, there is clarity now. 'The club has wanted to move in a direction of prioritizing looking at players for next year, evaluating the guys we have on loan, certainly evaluating the younger players,' he said. 'With injuries and that we're starting to see more and more of what we have.' Hernandez called Saturday's 3-0 win over the visiting Portland Timbers 'hopefully a small glimpse of actually what we want to look like on the pitch.' TFC starts life without the Italians on Thursday against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium. NYCFC (8-7-4) currently sits ninth in the Eastern Conference, occupying the last playoff position, four places and 11 points above Toronto. Seven of those New York wins have come at home (7-1-1). Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. New York forward Alonso Martínez returns from international duty with Costa Rica but goalkeeper Matt Freese, the hero of the American penalty shootout quarterfinal win over Honduras, is still at the Gold Cup. Fraser said defenders Nicksoen Gomis, Zane Monlouis and Henry Wingo remain long-term casualties. Defenders Richie Laryea, back from Gold Cup duty with Canada, and Kobe Franklin are available for selection while midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Markus Cimermancic are nearing a return to action. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2,2 2025


Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Arrivederci. Toronto FC buys out hefty contracts of Italy's Insigne, Bernardeschi
TORONTO - Toronto FC is parting ways with Italian designated players Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, ending an expensive and unsuccessful partnership. The struggling Major League Soccer club said their contracts had been mutually terminated, with TFC using its two permitted buyouts of their guaranteed deals. 'After several meaningful discussions, we are happy to have found a solution that is agreeable to all parties involved,' Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a brief statement Tuesday. The two Italian designated players arrived to much fanfare — with paycheques to match — midway through the 2022 season. But they could not return the club to its former glory. Insigne, 34, was making US$15.4 million this season, second only to Lionel Messi's US$20.5 million. Bernardeschi, 31, was earning US$6.295 million this season, sixth-best in MLS. Insigne's contract ran through June 2026 with an option for the remainder of the year, while Bernardeschi's deal covered 2026 with option years through 2028. It was not money well spent. Toronto (4-10-5) currently sits 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, four places and 11 points below the playoff line, and 26th overall in the 30-team league. It has not made the playoffs since 2020, when it stumbled at the first hurdle. Their departure means Toronto is without a designated player, with two such spots available. Under MLS roster rules, a designated player aged at least 24 only carries a salary budget charge of US$743,750, no matter how much they are paid. 'The designated player strategy is a critical component to Toronto FC's success in Major League Soccer and the club will continue to prioritize TFC's short-, medium- and long-term strategy in the weeks ahead,' said MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley. Insigne scored 19 goals and added 18 assists in 76 games for Toronto across all competitions. That includes one goal and three assists in 12 appearances this season. Bernardeschi scored 26 goals and added 22 assists in 99 appearances across all competitions. An all-star in 2024, he has four goals and four assists through 15 matches this season. Bernardeschi offered a parting message via social media. 'Every single day on the pitch, I gave everything I had. All my passion. All my drive. All of myself. I never held back,' he wrote. 'I gave everything for this shirt, for this city, for its fans.' 'Now a new journey begins for me,' he added. 'A new chapter, a new challenge. But the bond with this city, with its people, will forever live in my heart. Toronto FC, MLS: thank you for this extraordinary adventure. This is not goodbye. It's see you soon.' Bernardeschi has been linked to a move to Italy's Bologna. Insigne sat out the last two TFC games. He did not make it off the bench in a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls and did not dress for Saturday's 3-0 win over Portland. At the time, Toronto coach Robin Fraser said the club wanted to give other players a chance. Toronto sat Insigne for the first four games of this season after failed attempts to move him to clubs in Italy, Spain, Turkey and Brazil. Insigne kept training with the first team while out of favour. 'It wasn't a happy time for me,' he told The Canadian Press in May. 'But I'm not going to keep thinking about it.' 'I've always been happy here, and as long as my contract lasts, I'm going to do the best I can to make us win,' he added. The club eventually returned him to action, but with one goal and three assists in 12 league outings, he did not make much of an impact. Bernardeschi has not played since May 24 when he picked up a fifth yellow card that earned him a one-game suspension. He missed the last three games with what Fraser described as a 'lingering' injury. At his best, the flamboyant Bernardeschi was a sight to behold, marauding down the wing and heading towards goal, looking to unleash his dangerous left boot. But with 26 yellow and four red cards in 88 league appearances, he was also volatile and somewhat unreliable. Insigne showed only flashes of past brilliance that earned him the nickname 'Il Magnifico.' Injuries and family health issues did not help. Unlike Bernardeschi, who was able to converse in English, Insigne's limited language skills meant his side of the story was rarely heard. In May, however, he said he was going to finish out his contract. 'With the money I earn, I could just sit down, I could have said, 'Who cares? I make a lot of money. I don't have to do anything,'' Insigne said in an interview with The Canadian Press. 'But that's not who I am. I'm going to always, every day, come and work hard. And as long as my contract's here, that is my goal at the end — I'm here to work hard and respect everybody.' Hopes were high when the two made their debut in July 2022, when Bernardeschi scored one goal and set up another and Insigne collected a stylish assist in a 4-0 romp over expansion Charlotte FC. The Italians' debut drew an announced sellout of 29,067, well above the average of 23,676 over the previous 11 home matches that season. Compare that to the 14,019 that Toronto drew this season for a 1-0 home loss to FC Cincinnati on May 14. The two Italians reportedly bumped heads with former coach Bob Bradley. John Herdman, who succeeded Bradley. converted Bernardeschi to wingback with Fraser returning him to his more accustomed winger position. Bernardeschi arrived with a Grade-A resume. 'We are thrilled to add Federico to our team,' said Bill Manning, TFC's president at the time. 'As a player and a person, we believe he's exactly what we need right now, both on the field and in the locker room. Federico has proven himself to be a champion and a leader at Juventus and for the Italian national team and brings a pedigree to Toronto that's second to none.' Manning, fired by Pelley in July as president of TFC and the Toronto Argonauts, famously said he settled on insigne after seeing the local interest in Italy's run to the European championship. 'I actually went to the Transfermarkt website and I looked up the Italian national team on what players were coming out of contract,' Manning told reporters. 'And Lorenzo was one of the few players that was coming out of contract. I started writing down players that I thought were world-class, that I thought would have commercial value in this market.' Insigne arrived from Napoli, where he captained the side. He made a combined 416 appearances for the Serie A club, scoring 114 goals with 95 assists across all competitions. He scored 10 goals in 53 appearances for Italy. But he never seemed to find a fit with Toronto. Bernardeschi arrived from Juventus, where he had spent five seasons after joining from Fiorentina. He scored six goals in 38 appearances for the Italian national team, including the winning penalty in the shootout to seal Italy's win over England in the 2020 UEFA European Championship final (played in 2021). —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025


Global News
a day ago
- Business
- Global News
Federico Bernardeschi leaves Toronto FC, Lorenzo Insigne expected to follow
Toronto FC is parting ways with designated player Federico Bernardeschi with the expectation that fellow Italian Lorenzo Insigne will follow him out the door. The Major League Soccer club and Bernardeschi have agreed to terminate the winger's contract, with TFC using one of its two permitted buyouts of his guaranteed deal. 'After internal discussions with Federico, we were aligned that this was the correct moment to part ways,' Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said in a statement. 'We would like to thank Fede for his contributions to Toronto FC over the past three years and wish him the best in the next chapter of his career.' The two Italian designated players arrived to much fanfare — and with paychecks to match — midway through the 2022 season. But they could not return the club to its former glory. Toronto (4-10-5) currently sits 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, four places and 11 points below the playoff line, and 26th overall in the 30-team league. It has not made the playoffs since 2020, when it stumbled at the first hurdle. Story continues below advertisement Bernardeschi Is making US$6.295 million this season, which ranks sixth in MLS. Insigne is making U$15.4 million, second only to Lionel Messi's US$20.5 million. Bernardeschi's contract runs through 2026 with option years through 2028 while Insigne's deal runs through June 2026 with an option for the remainder of the year. Their departure opens up two designated player spots. 'The designated player strategy is a critical component to Toronto FC's success in Major League Soccer and the club will continue to prioritize TFC's short-, medium- and long-term strategy in the weeks ahead,' added MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 31-year-old Bernardeschi scored 26 goals and added 22 assists in 99 appearances across all competitions. An all-star in 2024, he has four goals and four assists through 15 matches this season. Bernardeschi has not played since May 24 when he picked up a fifth yellow card that earned him a one-game suspension. He missed the last three games with what Toronto coach Robin Fraser described as a 'lingering' injury. At his best, the flamboyant Bernardeschi was a sight to behold, marauding down the wing and heading towards goal, looking to unleash his dangerous left boot. But with 26 yellow and four red cards in 88 league appearances, he was also volatile and somewhat unreliable. The two Italians reportedly bumped heads with former coach Bob Bradley. John Herdman, who succeeded Bradley. converted Bernardeschi to wingback with Fraser returning him to his more accustomed winger position. Story continues below advertisement The 34-year-old Insigne has sat out the last two TFC games. He did not make it off the bench in a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls and did not dress for Saturday's 3-0 win over Portland. At the time, Fraser said the club wanted to give other players a chance. Bernardeschi arrived with a Grade-A resume. 'We are delighted to add Federico to our team,' said Bill Manning, TFC's president at the time. 'As a player and a person, we believe he's exactly what we need right now, both on the field and in the locker room. Federico has proven himself to be a champion and a leader at Juventus and for the Italian national team and brings a pedigree to Toronto that's second to none.' Manning, fired by Pelley in July as president of TFC and the Toronto Argonauts, famously said he settled on insigne after seeing the local interest in Italy's run to the European championship. 'I actually went to the Transfermarkt website and I looked up the Italian national team on what players were coming out of contract,' Manning told reporters. 'And Lorenzo was one of the few players who was coming out of contract. I started writing down players that I thought were world-class, that I thought would have commercial value in this market.' Bernardeschi arrived from Juventus, where he had spent five seasons after joining from Fiorentina. He scored six goals in 38 appearances for the Italian national team, including the winning penalty in the shootout to seal Italy's win over England in the 2020 UEFA European Championship final (played in 2021). Story continues below advertisement Insigne arrived from Napoli, where he captained the side. He made a combined 416 appearances for the Serie A club, scoring 114 goals with 95 assists across all competitions. He scored 10 goals in 53 appearances for Italy. But he did not seem to find a fit with Toronto , with 15 goals and 10 assists in 66 games. Toronto sat Insigne for the first four games of this season after failed attempts to move him to clubs in Italy, Spain, Turkey and Brazil. The club eventually returned him to action, but with one goal and three assists in 12 league outings, he did not make much of an impact. Under MLS roster rules, a designated player aged at least 24 only carries a salary budget charge of US$743,750, no matter how much they are paid.


The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Corporate figure to be new Terengganu FC CEO this season
TERENGGANU FC (TFC) will be led by a corporate figure as chief executive officer (CEO) this season. Terengganu Football Association (PBSNT) chairman Hishamuddin Abdul Karim said the state FA has compiled a shortlist of several suitable candidates to lead the club, in line with the full privatisation plan for the club to move towards professional management. He said the final selection is underway and a closed interview would be conducted next week to select the most qualified and credible candidate to lead the club to greater heights. 'This time we will bring in a corporate figure to manage TFC. We need to fully embrace privatisation for the development of the club. 'We will announce the person as soon as possible, within this month after interviews and approval from the board of directors,' he said when met at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Terengganu Football Sdn Bhd (TFCSB) and the Terengganu Incorporated Group (Trg Inc) here today. At the ceremony, Trg Inc, represented by Chief Executive Officer Datuk Burhanuddin Hilmi Mohamed, handed over a sponsorship worth RM1.65 million to support TFC in the upcoming 2025/26 Malaysia League season. Burhanuddin said the sponsorship in the form of money and services represents a RM150,000 increase from the previous season. 'We believe that the strength of a football team does not solely depend on performance on the field, but also requires corporate backing, professional management and comprehensive community involvement. 'This collaboration is expected to increase brand engagement of government-related company Trg Inc across all TFC platforms,' he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Toronto FC ends failed Italian experiment, buys out Bernardeschi, Insigne next
Toronto FC's disastrous decision to splash wads of cash at two former Italian stars will go down as one of the worst forays in team history, which is really saying something given some of the early mistakes. But finally, the pain is over for long-suffering fans of the Reds. Federico Bernardeschi, who to be fair, at least tried and produced some results over the years, had his contract terminated on Tuesday, Toronto FC announced in a Canada Day news dump. 'After internal discussions with Federico, we were aligned that this was the correct moment to part ways,' Toronto FC general manager Jason Hernandez said in a statement. 'We would like to thank Fede for his contributions to Toronto FC over the past three years and wish him the best in the next chapter of his career.' The team used one of its two buyouts of a guaranteed contract on Bernardeschi. 'The Designated Player strategy is a critical component to Toronto FC's success in Major League Soccer and the club will continue to prioritize TFC's short, medium and long-term strategy in the weeks ahead,' MLSE president & CEO Keith Pelley said in the statement of future moves. Bernardeschi, 31, made 88 MLS regular season appearances for the Reds since joining Toronto FC halfway through the 2022 had four goals and four assists through 15 matches this season and was twice named to the MLS Team of the Matchday. In 2024, he was selected to participate in the 2024 MLS All-Star Game. In all, Bernardeschi recorded 26 goals and 22 assists through 99 combined appearances across all competitions (MLS, Canadian Championship and Leagues Cup) for TFC. The Athletic and Canadian Press reported Tuesday that Insigne, one of the biggest busts in MLS history, will soon join Bernardeschi out the door. He recorded only one goal and three assists this season and just four goals in each of the previous two seasons. Only the great Lionel Messi makes more than Insigne's $15.4 million U.S. this season. Bernardeschi ranks sixth at $6.295. Both had a year left on their contracts. TFC is 13th of 15 teams in the Eastern Conference, well out of the playoff picture this season and has not made the post-season since 2020. Bernardeschi did not play after May 24 when he was suspended one game for yellow card accumulation. Insigne, 34, has missed two straight and the team has said it was looking at younger players instead of playing the veteran. Stymied in bids to move Insigne, TFC prepared to sit him: CP source Lorenzo Insigne deal with Toronto FC done: Report