Canada men’s soccer coach Jesse Marsch bothered by U.S. treatment of Ukraine

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch reacts during the first half of a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal soccer match against Mexico, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

TORONTO — Canada soccer coach Jesse Marsch, an American who won kudos north of the border earlier this year for telling U.S. President Donald Trump to “lay off the ridiculous rhetoric” about Canada being a 51st state, has taken aim at the U.S. president again.

In a speech to a Canada-Ukraine Foundation breakfast Friday, Marsch made mention of the recent U.S. attitude towards Ukraine.

“As an American, the treatment that we have given the president of Ukraine and the lack of respect really bothers me,” he said.

There was a contentious White House meeting in late February when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was belittled by Trump and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance. Trump has also lumped Ukraine and Russia together as aggressors when Ukraine was invaded by Russia in February 2022.

Canada hosts Ukraine on Saturday in the opening game of the inaugural Canadian Shield Tournament at Toronto’s BMO Field. New Zealand and Ivory Coast are also taking part.

“Without having to know what it’s like to go through something like what players, this coach, this federation has been through, I am just really excited to be able to show our support, as the Canadian national team coach, to show how much we are behind them, that we are with them, that we want to do everything we can,” Marsch told the breakfast.

The 51-year-old Marsch, a former U.S. international who was born in Racine, Wisc., said in February he was “ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies (in Canada).”

The Canada Ukraine Foundation has raised more than $1 million at its fundraising breakfasts over the last three years.

A ball autographed by Andriy Shevchenko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Football, was auctioned off for $10,000 Friday after the former Ukraine star striker took part in a question-and-answer session.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press