Franco Ibarra has launched a stunning attack towards Atlanta United and technical director Carlos Bocanegra after the midfielder’s shock loan move to Toronto FC.
Speaking to the Athletic, the Argentine midfielder went on the offensive against his employers and Bocanegra after news broke that Ibarra would be joining the Canadian franchise on loan in part to Atlanta’s U-22 debacle, with the Five Stripes having four players in the quota after Edwin Mosquera’s return.
As a result, Ibarra has been made as the fall guy for Atlanta, with the 22-year-old being loaned out to Toronto seemingly against his wishes, with the midfielder since launching a scathing attack on Atlanta and how Bocanegra dealt with the whole fiasco.
Ibarra said: “Carlos told me that because I’ve played a lot, there’s high demand for me. But I replied that if I’m highly valued then send me to a better team. Don’t send me to the worst team. I understand that this is a business, but send me to another team.”
The Argentine added: “You can’t call me out of the blue to tell me that I have to move to another country. If you tell me a week ago that there’s a problem and that I no longer have a U-22 slot, that’s different. But instead I found out last night that (Bocanegra) had to get rid of one of the four U-22 players.”
Atlanta’s treatment of Ibarra adds fuel to trade change in MLS
Player trading in American sports can be hard to grasp for those unfamiliar with how brutal the process can be. And in Ibarra’s situation with Atlanta, this saga paints a picture of a wider problem in soccer where such rules should not apply given the nature of the game.
As we know, MLS is the only top football league in the world where a player’s input means nothing when it comes to being traded. And after Ibarra’s attack on Atlanta and his loan to Toronto, the league should put it upon themselves to act on the rules and make a change that could set a much-needed trend in the US.
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