New Canada Soccer boss says organization's $4-million operating deficit 'not sustainable'

The newly appointed CEO and general secretary of Canada Soccer has provided an update on the governing body's finances and the news isn't good.

Kevin Blue, who took up his post on March 14, says the governing body's budget for fiscal 2024 shows a $4-million operating deficit on total expenses of $30 million.

"While it is common for non-profit sports organizations to operate at surpluses or deficits depending on annual circumstances, the current level of Canada Soccer's operating deficit is not sustainable and cannot continue in the future," he wrote in a social media post Saturday.

Canada Soccer has yet to divulge its 2023 financial picture, which is expected at its annual general meeting in Montreal in early May.

Blue said Canada Soccer must boost annual revenues by between $10 million and $12 million "to robustly fund its programs and serve its stakeholders — from grassroots up to the national teams."

"We need to establish a better financial engine for soccer in Canada so our sport can benefit from upcoming opportunities," he wrote.

An increase in player fees is one of his proposed solutions. Blue said he has put forward two possible plans to increase rates, which he notes have not changed since 2017.

The first aligns fees with the Consumer Price Index.

"We are discussing a tune-up of the player levy for CPI along with a proportional adjustment of membership affiliation fees," Blue said.

Those membership fees come from provincial organizations and Canada's MLS teams.

Blue said Canada Soccer would have collected an additional $5.84 million in revenue since 2017 had the player levy been adjusted for CPI.

The second concept is an "incremental investment" to fund the launch of Project 8, the domestic women's league under