Bayern Munich‘s chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen has accused Canada Soccer of ‘gross negligence’ regarding their handling of Alphonso Davies‘ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The left back tore his ligament and sustained other damage in his right knee during Canada’s 2-1 win over the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League last week.
Davies, 24, was forced off after just 12 minutes had passed in the affair, suffering what is now the fourth long-term injury of his career, having also dealt with ankle issues and heart problems in the past.
An ACL injury typically requires months of rehabilitation, and Bayern do not believe Davies was appropriately attended to by his national team, who sent him on a 12-hour flight back to Munich without a ‘thorough medical examination’.
After the full extent of Davies’ injury was discovered on Wednesday, Dreesen revealed that the Bundesliga giants are considering ‘legal action’ against Canada Soccer for their lack of due diligence.
‘Sending an obviously injured player with a damaged knee on a twelve-hour intercontinental flight without a thorough medical examination is, in our view, grossly negligent and a clear violation of medical due diligence,’ Dreesen told BILD.
Bayern Munich’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen accused Canada Soccer of ‘gross negligence’ for how they handled Alphonso Davies’ ACL injury this week, and even threatened ‘legal action’
Davies, 24, tore the ACL in his right knee during Canada’s 2-1 win against the USA last Sunday
This is the fourth long-term injury of his career, having also dealt with repeated ankle issues
‘We’re demanding a full investigation into the events from Canada Soccer and expressly reserve the right to take legal action.’
Bayern’s CEO went on to argue that Davies should not have been playing at all, considering he was already managing an issue before the game, and because the stakes of the third-place final clash were minimal.
Dreesen added: ‘The participation of Davies, who already had muscular problems before the game, in a match of no sporting significance is incomprehensible from our point our view.’
Davies started for Canada last Sunday, despite suffering a knock in his country’s previous game against Mexico just two days earlier.
Bayern’s sporting director, Christoph Freund, shared his CEO’s sentiments, arguing that Davies was only on the pitch because he wanted to help his team, but his fitness levels did not match his enthusiasm.
‘He is the captain, a young man who wanted to help his team but it was borderline,’ Freund said.
‘The second issue is the injury after 12 minutes. Then Phonzy [Alphonso] flies back on a 12-hour flight and we all assume it is not a serious injury but then we have this.
‘That is sloppy. It is not professional and we need to talk and clear it up. We are the employers, we pay the players, so we will be looking into what happened.’
Davies will miss the rest of the season and will likely return by the end of 2025 or start of 2026
Bayern’s sporting director, Christoph Freund, also said Canada managed the injury incorrectly
Canada Soccer spokesperson Paulo Senra defended the federation’s handling of the situation
Nevertheless, Canada Soccer spokesperson Paulo Senra defended the federation’s handling of the situation, speaking to The Athletic.
He said: ‘We further reviewed the circumstances related to the medical care provided to Alphonso Davies.
‘Medical documentation confirms that proper care protocols were followed, and communication records show that our medical staff provided updates to Bayern Munich throughout the entire tournament.
‘We spoke further with Bayern Munich today to provide them with context and details to address any misunderstandings. We are all focused on supporting Alphonso in the months ahead.’
Davies will miss the rest of the season and likely a large portion of the 2025-26 campaign too.
The average recovery time for an ACL tear among football players is around six to nine months, but can extend to 12 in severe cases.
Bayern fans can hope to see Davies in action by September at the earliest, but a more realistic assessment would have the defender back on the pitch by the start of 2026.
