In light of the strike held by members of its women’s team on Saturday, Canada Soccer has threatened to sue the Association of Players and Athletes of the National Team.
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According to TSN network journalist Rick Westhead, this threat of legal action was made shortly before a meeting between representatives of the federation and the Canadian Women’s Soccer Players Association (CSPA).
The Canadians issued an inflammatory letter the day before, accusing Soccer Canada of not receiving the same support as the men’s team, despite its recent achievements, which include a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
“We have not only had to cancel sessions, but also entire training camps,” said the CSPA in its written statement. We have been forced to reduce the number of players and staff invited and to significantly limit the already restricted activities of the junior teams.
The national team players are training in Florida for the SheBelieves Cup, which begins next week. Negotiations between the CSPA and the federation have already lasted for a year, with the two camps aiming to settle their dispute before the 2023 World Cup, which will take place in Australia and New Zealand, in July.
In a statement sent to the Canadian media, the federal government announced that it would get involved in the conflict.
“We will always support the right of female athletes to fair and equitable compensation. We are proud of the female national athletes and teams, and we fully support them. We will contact each party soon, and we will assess the situation to help find a positive solution, ”assured the Minister of Sports, Pascale St-Onge.
Canada is scheduled to play its first SheBelieves Cup game on Thursday against the United States. Meetings with Brazil and Japan are also scheduled for the following week.