It would be unfair to suggest that the women's national program deserves equal compensation to that of the men's.
So what are we to make of the controversy surrounding the women's World Cup team and head coach Carolina Morace?
It couldn't have come at a worst time, but of course it’s a perfect time for Morace to push forward her agenda, as she has all the leverage right now. But we don't know the specifics of that agenda as she has yet to make them public.
We hear she wants more control. We hear she wants total control. Whether she should have that or not is not for me to say. It’s only the CSA that will have to live with the consequences of any agreement they reach with the disgruntled coach.
As for the players, I think we're all on board that they should receive fair compensation for representing their country. What that number amounts to is a matter for debate, but when the discussion comes around to comparing the women to the men and demands for gender equality are thrown in, consider this: there is no gender equality at the international level in financial matters. It’s clear that in every single national federation around the world, the first, second and third priorities are to get the men's team to the World Cup.
There are two reasons for that: national prestige and money. The prestige and ancillary benefits that come with it are hard to define but surely significant. The money is something else entirely and pragmatically far more important.
As part of the compensation package for the World Cup in South Africa last year, FIFA handed out $8 million to every country that bowed out at the group stage. All you had to do was qualify to get that money. All 32 countries received another million for their preparation. They also handed out another $40 million in compensation through national federations to league clubs around the world who lost players because of World Cup participation.
The bottom line is that if Canada had made it to South Africa, it would have bulged the CSA's coffers to the tune of more than $9 million bucks! Contrast that with the $7.6 million that FIFA will hand out in TOTAL compensation for the upcoming Women's World Cup in Germany. The winner there gets $1 million.
So add it up. The numbers don't lie. Agreed, the chances of the Canadian women doing well in Germany are greater than the men just getting to the big dance. But if we could find a way to get the men there, the financial windfall would solve so many funding problems in Canada including those suffered by the women's program right now.
Again, fair compensation for the women is a must, and so is keeping Carolina Morace as head coach. But please don't compare the two programs and the effect they have on the soccer landscape in this country. They are entirely different.
