The former star is now joining the organization in a front-office role.
Joseph Pontisso, Senior Staff Writer
Former Toronto Football Club (TFC) star Sebastian Giovinco, who captivated thousands of Toronto soccer fans with his spectacular free-kick goals and bold attacking runs, has rejoined the club in a front-office role as “special advisor and club ambassador.” The club announced the deal before their last game of the MLS season, a 1-0 loss to Inter Miami and soccer superstar Lionel Messi. Giovinco told CBC reporters the day the news of the signing broke; “I gave everything on the field, now I try to help outside the field. Toronto has always been home to me and my family.”
Before he joined TFC, Giovinco began his professional career with Italian Serie A giant Juventus, cracking the club’s first-team lineup for several seasons between 2006 and 2015. In addition to this, he also spent time on loan with fellow Serie A clubs Empoli and Parma over that period. The Italian forward also represented his country in international competition, scoring one goal in 23 appearances, and helping the Italian national team finish second at the 2012 European Championship. Giovinco had some impressive seasons in Italy, including his 2011-2012 Parma campaign where he led the team in scoring with 15 goals. However, when he signed with Toronto on January 19th, 2015, he became both the highest-paid player in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) and an immediate league sensation. That season, Giovinco became the first player to lead MLS in both goals and assists in the same year, earning him season MVP. His performance helped Toronto qualify for the MLS playoffs for the first time in the organization’s history, snapping an 8-year drought. Giovinco went on to lead the TFC in scoring in each of his 4 years in Toronto, and in 2017 led the team to win the MLS Cup.
Even as a player, Giovinco seemed to be an ambassador of the game. He captivated Toronto soccer fans, dominating games like few star players in Europe ever do. His small size and low center of gravity allowed him to weave through opposing defenders with the illusion of breathtaking speed, with fans quickly giving him the nickname “the Atomic Ant.” His new place as the team’s undisputed number one striker also allowed him to demonstrate an incredible talent for scoring off free kicks, setting an MLS record with six such goals during the 2017 season. For four years, every Giovinco goal felt brilliant, every TFC game felt meaningful, and every Toronto sports fan was given an opportunity to encounter a sport that for years had never caught on in Canada in quite the way it had in other nations.
When Giovinco left Toronto for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal after the 2018 MLS season, he posted a heartfelt message on social media that ended simply with “I love you Toronto!” There was a sense he meant it. Now, retired as a player and in his new role with TFC as a club ambassador, he can continue loving this city – and give Toronto soccer fans the opportunity to love him back just a little bit more.
