'Misunderstood' Canadian Soccer Business clarifies role, offers help to national teams
CBC
Canadian Soccer Business, the little-known entity that represents Canada Soccer's corporate partnerships and broadcast rights among other assets, is tired of getting slagged.
And it says it wants to help the Canadian men's and women's teams, who have lambasted both Canada Soccer and its deal with the CSB during increasingly testy labour negotiations.
"The CSB has been misunderstood," said Mark Noonan, who doubles as CEO of Canada Soccer Business and commissioner of the Canadian Premier League. "Probably we haven't done a good job of telling people what CSB is all about — the ways that we are contributing to the growth of soccer in Canada and the investments that we've made.
The CSB essentially markets Canada's soccer product, on the field and off, via broadcast and sponsorship agreements. It pays the governing body a set amount each year with the rest helping fund the Canadian Premier League.
The long-term deal came with very few public details. And CSB has come under fire in recent weeks, with the Canadian men's team taking square aim in an open letter Friday.
"Canada Soccer's principal revenue streams have been in large part diverted to Canada Soccer Business to the benefit of the owners of for-profit minor league professional soccer teams," it said in reference to the Canadian Premier League, which is now entering its fifth season.
"How Canada Soccer is allocating or using funds is unclear and cloaked in secrecy," the men added.
The Canadian women's soccer team returned to training Sunday in Florida following a brief strike a day earlier, saying they would not take the field for the upcoming SheBelievesCup tournament unless Canada Soccer addressed their grievances.
The men refused to play a friendly against Panama in Vancouver last June over dissatisfaction with ongoing labour talks.
But they did so under protest after Canada Soccer threatened legal action if they continued their job action.
"To be clear. We are being forced back to work for the short term. This is not over. We will continue to fight for everything we deserve and we will win. The She Believes [Cup] is being played in protest," said Canadian star Christine Sinclair.
The CBS issued a rare public statement Monday evening, presenting its case. It said its investors — the owners of the eight CPL teams — have invested close to $100 million "in the development of the game."
"No investor in CSB has ever taken a distribution," it added.
And it said it has offered "several times over the past year, and as recently as last month," to provide "incremental" resources to Canada Soccer.
