Canada’s national soccer players have withdrawn their threat to strike after a crisis meeting with their association.
According to a statement, the players of the Olympic champion were previously threatened with legal consequences if they did not play against record world champions USA in the Shelieves Cup in Orlando next Thursday. The players’ union had announced this step in protest against savings and a lack of support from the association.
With the threat of a million-dollar fine against the players themselves, “we cannot take the risk,” the Canadian Players Association wrote in a statement. “We remain firmly of the belief that Canada Soccer’s cuts in the program for the national team – especially just before the World Cup – are unacceptable. (…) And we firmly believe that nothing will change if we don’t stand up together and demand more.”
The federation announced that the strike announced by the players was not legal. In Canada, both the women’s and men’s national teams, which support women, are in talks with the federation about a new collective agreement. It is also about the equalization of wages. The association wrote of a “historic deal” as soon as it was completed. (dpa)