(Reuters) – Canada Soccer President Nick Bontis announced his resignation on Monday, effective immediately, amid an ongoing labour dispute between the national governing body and the country’s men’s and women’s national teams.
Bontis, who was elected Canada Soccer president in November 2020, said both programs, which have each said their budgets are being cut, have the potential to sign a “historic collective bargaining agreement.”
The Canadian women’s team recently escalated their protest over pay equity issues when they wore purple shirts that read “Enough is enough” ahead of their opening match of the recent SheBelievesCup.
“While I have been one of the biggest proponents of equalizing the competitive performance environment for our Women’s National Team, I will unfortunately not be leading this organization when it happens,” Bontis said in a statement.
“I acknowledge that this moment requires change.”
The women’s national team’s last agreement with Canada Soccer expired in 2021 while the men’s, who formed their own players’ association last August, are negotiating their first formal deal.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
