Toronto FC’s obsession (and success) with Italian players
By Jim James
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the blog. The one transfer I never thought would happen is happening. Ok, it’s a little low on that list, but it’s super unlikely, and frankly doesn’t make a planck particle of sense. (A little science on the blog) Lorenzo Insigne is moving, at 30 years old, to the great white north. To the Six. To a country where football is at least the 3rd most popular sport where you put a ball in a net, behind hockey and lacrosse. Toronto FC is completing the biggest signing in MLS history. Maybe not the best player, but the best player at the time of the move. Today I’ll be analysing the move, seeing the successes of his countrymen at Toronto FC, other Italians linked with Toronto, how they can make it happen and how successful they may be. Let’s begin!
Former Italians
Sebastian Giovinco
Yeah, this is the only other Italian who has ever played for Toronto. However, he is the club’s best ever player. 83 goals, many a-free kick goals, he never acted like he was bigger than the club (because he really wasn’t), and got us a MLS Cup. You can see how Toronto would want to sign more Italians.
Italians linked with TFC
Lorenzo Insigne
The reason we’re making this post today. Lorenzo Insigne is the jewel of Toronto’s Italian rampage this summer. At only 30 years old, he could become Giovinco 2.0 or even Carlos Vela 2.0. The mere thought that Insigne isn’t going to tear the league to pieces is ridiculous. Think about how the likes of Giovinco, Vela, and Zlatan have run rampant in the MLS recently, then think, more goals. I would consider it a minor failure if he can’t average a goal per game in the MLS. That’s how good he’s going to be. Don’t forget, he was integral to Italy winning Euro 2020 last summer. That’s against some of the best defences in the world, he’s also the Napoli captain. I nearly fainted when I heard the news, with TFC being my local club.
Andrea Belotti
Even if the Insigne transfer wasn’t going to happen, this rumor would be headlining the MLS. He can be another league dominator, and he’s only 27, so if you thought Insigne’s move was ridonculous, this one is even more so. The case of Andrea Belotti is just… weird. He was leading Torino from the age of 21, and was linked to almost every big English team, but just… stayed at Torino. He could have become what Ciro Immobile is today, but weirdly he simply stayed at Torino, slowly lowering his ceiling. What’s arguably even weirder is that at the age of 27, now he’s starting to see that he may not reach the levels expected of him 4-5 seasons ago, he’s considering just binning his European career and going into semi-retirement in the MLS. I’m still super excited to see him in a TFC shirt if he accepts the contract, but it’s just an odd decision.
Sebastian Giovinco
Yep, Mr. Toronto FC himself has recently admitted to wanting to rejoin TFC after a 3 season spell at Al Hilal where they won 2 Saudi Pro Leagues and 1 AFC Champions League. He parted ways with the Saudi side this summer, so he’s available on a free. However, he is by far the oldest of the players we’ve looked at so far, at 34 years old. You’d also have to ask, if they signed Insigne and Belotti as well as him, how much game time would he get, and if he did play, where would it be and how well would he perform with 2 better and younger attackers along with him in the front 3? Even with all that said, I’d welcome Giovinco back because someone who has done what he has for the club should be welcomed back with open arms whenever they want.
Domenico Criscito
Who? True, Criscito is the least recognisable, arguably worst, and oldest of the signings, but he could be quite important. The 35-year old could provide short-term stability at the back. We can’t forget that, even in all the hype of an attacking overhaul, we did finish 2nd bottom of the Eastern conference last year. That would mean we need some new defenders, and in our prediciament similar to that of most MLS teams, we’ve struggled to get good, reliable defenders for the long term. Criscito can check 2 of those boxes, but it is still more than our defenders right now. He would be a very important signing.
How can they afford these players?
Despite not looking like it, Toronto is in fact a rich club, one of the richest in the MLS. We’re owned by MLSE, no, I didn’t make a typo, MLSE stands for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Despite being a MAPLE LEAF foundation, they just own Toronto sports teams. They own not just Toronto FC, but the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. They make billions of dollars a year, so contracts like the record breaking Insigne contract is a pittance for them.
Why haven’t they flexed their financial muscle more? Personally, I don’t know why this is the first year they’re going haywire like this, but they’ve done more than you may think. There was, of course, the signing of Giovinco in 2015, Gregory Van Der Wiel in 2017, Alej Pozuelo, the American duo of Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, the loan signing of legendary GK Julio Cesar, and the bloody big deal of Jermaine Defoe. Now we have the “maledettamente grande affare” of Insigne, so we have got some good players before.
How will we do?
Well, let’s take a look at how we can line up with our 4 signings
Belotti
Insigne Pozuelo Giovinco
Bradley Osorio
Lawrence Auro Jr.
Mavinga Criscito
Westberg
Bench:
Bono
Gonzalez
Zavaleta
Morrow
Delgado
DeLeon
Soteldo
Akinola
This is a great attack, 3 of the best MLS attackers ever combined with the former MLS MVP Pozuelo, but goodness gracious we need work on the defense. We can’t win the MLS with a defense like this.
I’d say we can finish top 3 in the East, and get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
There you have it. Toronto FC’s obsession and success with Italians. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next time.