![]() “I started writing down players that I thought were world class, that I thought would have commercial value in this market. “I looked up the Italian national team (and) what players were coming out of contract,” Manning said at the time the Insigne signing was announced. The root of the idea to sign Insigne came when Manning watched Italy win Euro 2020, and noted the celebrations of the Italian fans in Toronto. Manning told The Athletic he looked into the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo after he left Juventus, but the Portuguese star ended up returning to Manchester United. “We were languishing… And as team president, you’re saying ‘Okay, what do I need to do to get us towards a course that can get fans excited again, and back towards winning again?’” “It wasn’t an urgency or pressure,” TFC president Bill Manning told The Athletic this week, recalling the environment in the aftermath of Armas’ ouster. United, prompted TFC to fire coach Chris Armas after just a few months in charge. The last of those, a 7-1 thumping at D.C. and Canada.Īn already difficult circumstance was made worse by on-field results: eight losses in the first 11 games, including six in a row. The current crisis in Toronto has its roots in the first few months of the 2021 season, in which the team played their home games in Orlando, Florida due to COVID-19 restrictions on international travel between the U.S. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Interviews with more than a dozen sources in and around Toronto FC, some of whom were granted anonymity in order to speak freely without retribution, revealed a fractured and messy environment at the club: a locker room where some players felt they couldn’t speak openly when captain Michael Bradley was present prima donna stars in Insigne and Bernardeschi who have significantly underdelivered on the field in-fighting between those most high-profile players and a deficient player-recruitment and squad-building approach. The same team that played in three MLS Cups in four years from 2016-19, winning once, has missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons and currently sits in last place in the Eastern Conference with no clear path out and a roster that needs significant work. Despite spending $2 million more on player salaries than anyone else in the league, Toronto FC is now fourth from bottom in the overall standings. This week’s events could be the breaking point of a culture in Toronto that has deteriorated over the last three years as TFC has tumbled down the MLS standings. On Friday, Bob Bradley announced he made a “coach’s decision” to keep Bernardeschi out of the squad for the weekend’s game. ![]() Eventually, the meeting dispersed and the team went forward with its preparation for Saturday’s game against D.C. Bernardeschi initially said he had nothing else to add, but when challenged further, the Italian traded barbs about team issues and tactics with both Bradleys and Kaye. ![]() There, Bob Bradley confronted Bernardeschi about his quotes from Saturday night. After that meeting, the full team convened. There, Bradley met with the team’s leadership committee, which includes his son and TFC captain Michael Bradley, Sean Johnson, Insigne, Matt Hedges, Jonathan Osorio, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Richie Laryea, about how to address Bernardeschi’s comments. The behind-the-scenes bickering continued on Tuesday as players and coaches returned to Toronto’s training facility, according to multiple sources present. One of the first episodes I had ever seen and just made me come back for more.Monday’s conversation directly concerned the type of change the former Italian national team winger was seeking: the ouster of head coach and sporting director Bob Bradley. About ten seconds later, Jeff gives us the scream again as he's run over by BAB. Then there was PC who asked, after chasing the rig for 16 minutes, "what type of car?" Zach's response: "It's a truck! It's a freakin' tractor trailer!" To which PC replies, "that one, right there.No, that's Zach." Jeff: "That's not even a tractor trailer!" ( ) Of course seconds later, the rig comes into view, Jeff gives us the trademark scream as BAB rams him. Or when BAB looked behind him to see PC flying off the mountain? Jeff: "LCDOJ training right there!" ( ) Who could forget Zach asking, "where'd you go, 324?" after PC got pinched went flying 70 feet in the air? ( ) ![]() I've only gone through the first 25 or so episodes, so there are plenty of moments I remember that I'll post as I see them again but I would say the entire episode in which BAB takes the rig on a chase from the city up to Sandy Shores and then Paleto Bay. Just this past weekend, I started going through all of old SAPDFR content that was put up beginning in late 2014.
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