Toronto FC: 4 things we learned from Champions League stumble
By Alex Taylor
4) Management have made their choice
TSN’s Kristian Jack first reported mid game that Jozy Altidore has agreed to a contract extension, on a deal which runs through the 2022 MLS season.
While financial specifics have yet to trickle out, it is safe to assume this deal will eclipse TFC captain Michael Bradley’s deal of $6 million annually.
Altidore will continue to be one of Toronto FC’s three designated players, meaning he will not count against the cap and therefore will not put the club in a bind financially.
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Which brings us to the most difficult point of all, and the one Toronto fans should find most perplexing.
If the MLS operates within a system where any team can select three players who do not count against the cap, how on earth could Giovinco not have been one of those players in 2019?
The end of the Giovinco era was a strange one, with the Italian striker taking to Instagram to explain that management had been hesitant to extend his contract.
Of course, management have a different story. However, regardless of whose word you take, there was an impasse between player and club, and those in power decided that TFC would be better off without their all-time goal scorer.
In December, Giovinco and Altidore sat down for an insightful double interview, where they both insisted they wanted to remain at TFC for the rest of their careers. It appears management only wanted one of them.
Post-Giovinco era off to an embarrassing start. dark. Next
Fans will not have to wait long to see if they made the right choice. TFC kick off their regular season this Saturday, against the Philadelphia Union.