Valuable lessons learned by TFC from buyouts of Italian DPs
If nothing else, the Italians' departures serve as a learning moment for Toronto FC, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned.
Former Toronto FC president Bill Manning swung for the fences when he signed Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi to mega-rich deals midway through the 2022 MLS season.
But roughly 36 months later, all three are now out of the picture – Manning was pushed out last summer, and Insigne and Bernardeschi didn’t even see out their full contracts. TFC cut bait with the underperforming Italians earlier this week, buying them out of their bloated contracts in a bombshell move that will go down as one of the biggest moments in club history.
Insigne, earning $15.4 million US this year (second-most in MLS), was under contract through next June with an option until the end of 2026. Bernardeschi, making $6,295,38 (sixth highest in the league), had a deal until the end of 2028. The club came to an agreement with both players to mutually terminate their contracts, and while we don’t know the total cost involved of the buyouts, rest assured that it’s costing MLSE a lot of money to essentially pay the Italians to leave.
The buyouts are an expensive and public admission that TFC got it spectacularly wrong in signing Insigne and Bernardeschi in the first place. If nothing else, their departures serve as a learning moment for Toronto, and there are plenty of lessons to be learned.
