The Canadian Soccer League issues the following statement in response to an erroneous online CBC story and broadcast of Thursday, January 31 ‘CSA cuts ties with the Canadian Soccer League’, also described by the CBC as ‘Canadian Soccer League loses sanctioning after match-fixing report’.
The Canadian Soccer League is still sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and there has been no suggestion that the CSA is severing ties with the CSL.
The national governing body told the CSL recently it is considering a new professional soccer structure that, if adopted, will accommodate professional leagues in
The proposed change follows the CSA’s consideration of the James Easton Report following a study of the viability of Division II professional soccer in
Vincent Ursini, president of the CSL, who attended the Interpol conference for his league, said the CSA has expressed to him that it is important for the CSL to continue its legacy of 85 years in soccer. Ursini said on Thursday: “The CSL will continue to co-operate and work with the CSA and OSA towards a new structure aimed at the advancement of professional soccer in
The CSL has taken exception also, to the report in the CBC story that several requests for a comment from the CSL went unreturned. Ursini said this has been investigated and it is clear no such enquiry by the writer or any member of the CBC has been received.
Ursini explained the CSL is working hard toward the new season to kickoff late April, that it is business as usual and his hope that all teams, old and new, and fans will not be deterred by the unfortunate misleading story released by the CBC.
Ursini reported that according to the Interpol conference about $185 million is bet each year on CSL games world-wide, so the need for vigilance on the part of the CSL and a strategy by FIFA to prevent match fixing are paramount. The CSL will continue to follow the direction of the CSA and FIFA, to be given high priority by the CSL.