It has been a horrific season for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, the club had high expectations as they entered the season as one of the highest spending teams in MLS. Their two biggest stars Italians Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi were supposed to take the league by storm under the watchful eye of Bob Bradley, a proven winner in MLS and US Soccer circles.
None of that happened, and misreporting of a rift between two of the highest paid DPs in MLS was just one of many issues surrounding the club. TFC has been dreadful for most of the season and the firing of Bob Bradley has done little to help a team at a tipping point. Rumors around the future of the disgruntled Italian stars have been present since the summer, but on huge contracts many teams will balk on trying to sign them.
On Saturday evening while watching his team lose yet another match Lorenzo Insigne, who is recovering from injury, got into a verbal altercation with a fan, so much so that he had to be pulled away from continuing to argue. The former Napoli star spoke to Sportsnet on Monday and said his piece on the matter.
Lorenzo Insigne on fan altercation
Insigne told Sportsnet, “I knew that was irresponsible and I shouldn’t have behaved that way,” he said. “But while I was sitting there taking these insults, my family was there, my kids were there. They were crying. They thought something was going to happen to me and I kind of reacted as a father, not as a player.
“I’m a professional. I know these things should not happen. And I apologize again to all the fans of Toronto. And this won’t happen again.”
The Italian star’s season like his team’s has been forgettable at only 4 goals in 19 games, add to it that he has also been injured the season has been a disaster. Since coming to MLS, Insigne has scored a total of 10 goals in 30 MLS games.