Toronto FC coach says Bernardeschi was ‘out of line’ with post-game outburst

Italian star Federico Bernardeschi’s emotional outburst after Toronto FC’s weekend 1-0 loss in Austin was “out of line,” says coach Bob Bradley.

“Fede was wrong for speaking that way after the game,” Bradley informed The Canadian Press. “It was a tough loss, a late goal after we had defended in a really good way. So he was wrong to speak that way after the game, 100 per cent. And we’ve now discussed it inside the team. So (I) made it clear that that was out of line.”

Asked if the incident was now behind them, Bradley replied considerably opaquely: “There’s a lot of work being done. The work every day in a tough period continues. So that’s where we are.”

The veteran coach, in his first public feedback on Bernardeschi’s outburst, additionally prompt that the Italian may assist the group in different methods than venting.

Bernardeschi seemingly took sq. purpose at his coach in a digital availability with media after the Austin loss, which dropped Toronto’s report to 2-5-7 within the Eastern Conference basement.

“We don’t play,” the Italian mentioned in English. “We play long pass. We don’t have any idea to play.”

“I think this city, the fans, everybody, don’t deserve this,” he added. “And I think maybe we need to change something. We need a little bit more tactics. We need an idea how we play, because this is the real problem for me. It’s impossible to play like this when we play without (an) idea.”

For a group struggling on the sector and already drawing loads of adverse chatter off it, it was an unwelcome bombshell.

“Look I understand the frustration that exists, with the players, with the fans,” mentioned Bradley. “And as I keep saying, in a real way, I take the responsibility every day to think through — with the staff — the best way to message, the best way to then put training together, the best idea on how we need to play. So when I keep saying that’s the work, that’s what’s going on every day.”

Injury-ravaged Toronto, at present mired in a 404-minute scoring drought, is winless in its final 4 league outings (0-3-1) and has received simply as soon as in its final 11 outings (1-5-5) in all competitions. Toronto’s final objective got here April 29, from CJ Sapong in a 1-0 win over visiting New York City FC.

Toronto was lacking 10 gamers by means of damage or suspension for Saturday’s loss in Austin, an absentees listing that included Insigne and fellow starters Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio and Sigurd Rosted.

“I think we had some good moments of good football but still I don’t think in the attack we’re anywhere near as efficient, as good, (as) effective as we need to be,” Bob Bradley mentioned. “For the most part defensively, as a group, we’ve been better.”

Attack and defence go collectively, in Bradley’s e-book, nevertheless.

Insigne and Bernardeschi joined Toronto halfway by means of the season final yr, with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment digging deep into its pockets to safe the Italian stars within the hope that they are going to lead TFC out of the MLS wilderness

Insigne, who ranks second on the MLS pay listing at US$7.5 million this season, has seven targets and two assists in 18 league appearances since becoming a member of the membership. Bernardeschi, No. 4 on the wage scale at US$6.295 million, has 11 targets and 6 assists in 27 outings.

Both have proven flashes of their brilliance on the pitch. But Injuries and lack of depth of their supporting forged haven’t helped their trigger.

Asked if it has been harder than anticipated in embedding the 2 Italians within the group, Bradley pointed at himself.

“I’ve said a few times that a huge part of my responsibility is to get the best out of those two,” he mentioned. “I’ve also said we’re not where we need to be. The record’s not good enough. We’ve left points on the table. And as you know, I take always full responsibility. So the idea of how to take more out of them, yeah, that’s the work every day.”

Insigne, whose English is proscribed, stays considerably of a thriller off the sector. While he’s mentioned to show a very good sense of humour amongst his teammates, he hardly ever meets the media, with an interpreter required when he does.

At instances, his physique language on the sector — paying homage to mercurial former TFC star Sebastian Giovinco — can communicate volumes.

There has been hypothesis in some quarters that the previous Napoli captain shouldn’t be pleased in Toronto.

“Lorenzo’s frustrated — with injuries and with still the work that’s being done to build our team,” mentioned Bradley. “It hasn’t been easy for him. And part of what I do on a regular basis is try to find the right way to keep him going and help him. That’s the work, to connect those dots.”

That comes largely on the coaching area the place Bradley says he and his workers attempt to arrange periods which have “as many game-like actions as possible” so his gamers must make the suitable selections within the sport mannequin they’re attempting to develop.

Some reply higher than others. The hope is that they see the advantages.

Bradley dismissed studies that he and Insigne have been at loggerheads. He additionally shook his head at social media hypothesis that Insigne had travelled to Austin however had refused to play, calling it “100 per cent false.”

On Friday, throughout a light-weight coaching session earlier than the flight to Austin, Bradley mentioned Insigne felt one thing from the midweek 0-0 draw with the New York Red Bulls.

“It was determined that he couldn’t travel. He went for an ultrasound. There was some fluid and some edema (swelling). Nobody thought it was serious. But no, he didn’t travel.”

Insigne subsequently returned to coaching Tuesday.

“I don’t know where the rest of it came from,” Bradley mentioned, referencing the Insigne rumours. “But it was utterly fallacious.:

Unlike Insigne, Bernardeschi shouldn’t be afraid to make use of his English and often comes throughout like a child who has consumed his physique weight in sweet when he meets reporters. He likes to share. Social media is his pal.

But on Saturday evening, he was extra glum than glamour. “We need the idea of football,” he lamented.

It appeared a direct shot at Bradley, a three-time MLS coach of the yr who is not any stranger to the thought of soccer.

Asked concerning the remark, Bradley replied: “In football people have different ideas. Not everybody sees the game the same way.” 

The 65-year-old Bradley challenges his gamers to determine alternatives after which benefit from them.

“You are trying every day to get players to think faster, see things faster, execute faster and better. Not everybody sees the game that way but that’s how I believe you work,” he mentioned “From the beginning with a guy like Fede, I showed him examples of Mohamed Salah (who Bradley coached with Egypt) and Carlos Vela (with Los Angeles FC), guys that play in the same position.” he added.

Bradley says he has labored with Bernardeschi “to create ideas of” how he could make runs and occupy higher positions that result in goal-scoring possibilities.

“If you take a look at the season, he’s nonetheless gotten the ball in lots of good spots. The numbers alone present that in these completely different moments, it hasn’t been pretty much as good as it may be. So that’s irritating for him and that hurts the group. So you’re employed by means of that, time and again. You proceed to attempt to impress upon him the issues that must be higher every single day.

“And I’ll never stop trying to do that — with him and with everyone else. But again are some of those things different than he’s heard in the past? Maybe. But it seemed early on that in that regard that he saw some of those things.”

Bradley acknowledged he inherited a large number when he took over Toronto as head coach and sporting director in November 2021.

“There was a lot to undo,” he mentioned. “And it’s not allowed us yet to have everything in a way that we could make some of the different moves that in a perfect world we would make. So we’ve worked as a group to be creative, to try to find ways to continue to move the team forward.”

Toronto hosts D.C. United (5-5-4) on Saturday.