Toronto FC's Designated Players are "making a combined" US $18.37M this season, and outgoing MLSE President & CEO Tim Leiweke praised its ownership "for not recoiling from such major player investments after getting burned by English star Jermain Defoe, who left after just one year," according to Neil Davidson of the CP. Leiweke said, "We learned our lesson on Defoe. We kind of shook ourself off and got up off the mat and brushed it off. I think we kind of said ‘OK, go big or go home.’ And we convinced the board to do it again. And so as much grief as people love to give MLSE and the owners, I will tell you I think they were spectacular on this one." Leiweke noted that "not only did ownership commit" to Italian MF Sebastian Giovinco, they "dug into their pockets to take him from the start of the MLS season when the original plan was to have him join mid-campaign" from Serie A club Juventus. Meanwhile, Leiweke also "talked up" new TFC President Bill Manning, "calling him a 'soulmate' in terms of his passion for the MLS club and the city." Leiweke said the group of Manning, GM Tim Bezbatchenko and coach Greg Vanney "puts this club in very good standing long-term." Leiweke: "The real opportunity for TFC is can we be a club that competes for a championship each and every year." Leiweke said that Manning and Bezbatchenko "can build on the existing foundation and take the club to a level where it 'can be very good for a very long time'" (CP, 10/17).
