There have been rumblings in Canada’s football association for some time, the national teams have not shied away from conflicts with the leadership. Now there are personal consequences.
Canada’s football association president Nick Bontis has announced his resignation in the wake of the dispute with the women’s and men’s national teams.
According to Canadian media reports, 13 presidents of provincial associations had previously written in a letter demanding the 53-year-old’s resignation. Bontis, head of the association since 2020 and member of the board since 2012, had recently come under heavy criticism.
For example, Canada’s national players have repeatedly complained about cut funds, outstanding payments and unequal treatment compared to the men’s team and even announced a possible strike. In the SheBelieves Cup, the Olympic champion only competed “under protest,” as captain Christine Sinclair emphasized. In the match against USA, the players wore purple T-shirts with the words “Enough” as the national anthems were played.
Relationship strained for years
Six months before the World Cup in Qatar, the men’s national team around Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies even did not show up for a planned test match against Panama out of protest. The relationship with the association has been tense for years, efforts for greater professionalism and a higher share of bonuses would falter if the players had justified their decision at the time.
“I recognize that this moment needs changes”, Bontis said in a statement. He stressed that he was a “big supporter” of equalizing the competitive conditions for female players compared to men, “but unfortunately I will not lead the federation if that happens“. He believes in one “historic collective agreement” in the association, which will be groundbreaking for numerous other members of the world association FIFA.
Canada’s internationals have repeatedly complained about cut funds, outstanding payments and unequal treatment.