Plus my picks for best matches to tune into this weekend.

The email message heading read “An Announcement From MLSE President Keith Pelley.”

I rolled my eyes and thought it was going to be another thank you for your continued support and patience type of message.

But, to my surprise and relief, it was the announcement Toronto FC fans had been waiting for: the new head coach had been hired!

The bigger surprise than the announcement itself was the fact they were able to keep under wraps who they planned to hire: former TFC assistant coach Robin Fraser.

With realistic options like Jim Curtin (who made it clear he wasn’t coming north), Vanni Sartini, and Bobby Smyrniotis being bandied about since John Herdman stepped down in early December, there wasn’t any noise being made about Fraser.

But, he makes sense in a lot of ways. First off, he’s an experienced MLS gaffer with ties to Toronto FC’s glory years (he was Greg Vanney’s assistant from 2015 through 2019).

That familiarity with the club and the city will be very valuable as he doesn’t need to get “settled” and can focus on tactics and players.

He also had a decent run as head coach of the Colorado Rapids from 2019-2023, leading them to back-to-back playoff appearances in his final two seasons and helping build a strong culture in the club.

Now, he returns to a club (and parent organization) that has shown a willingness to spend big when it comes to the on-field product.

That being stated, the latest attempt at big spending has provided mixed results – Federico Bernadeschi has all the makings of a club legend; his soon to be back playing in Italy countryman Lorenzo Insigne not-so-much.

Fraser has been given a deal that goes through 2027. TFC has stated time and again the emphasis will be on creating a dynamic product on the field, revamping the youth system to produce future big league players, and building a perennial contender.

Though it’s all easier said than done, I’m feeling much better about this new head coach that I did when Herdman was first hired. Fraser’s club football experience and familiarity with Toronto FC will allow him to hit the ground running.

There is still a decent core of five or six players to build around for the upcoming season and the transfer window is still open.

Obviously, a quality striker is still a big need, as is at least one solid midfielder, and a serviceable centre back. Realistically they’ll need two of each in order to become real contenders and navigate any injuries that occur. But, that’s for the coming days and weeks. Right now, the new gaffer is on board and that’s the first truly positive news Toronto FC supporters have heard in months.

Serie A: Okay, some bias here, but have a look at the schedule and certainly the Bologna-AS Roma match (Sunday, January 12 at noon on FuboTV Canada) is the best option for neutral fans. Going into the weekend, Bologna sits seventh and four points behind fifth. Roma is tenth, but on a decent seven game stretch (5-1-1 in all competitions) which includes a significant 2-0 win over arch rival Lazio last weekend. The only other match that could be interesting to neutrals is the Turin derby between Torino and Juventus on Saturday, January 11 at noon.

Bundesliga: Okay, so the best match to watch of the weekend was yesterday’s goal fest that saw defending champion Bayer Leverkusen pick up a 3-2 away win over Borussia Dortmund in the German League’s return to action after a three week break. But, since I’m committed to picking one, I’ll go with fourth place Leipzig hosting seventh-place Werder Bremen on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (DAZN Canada). Leipzig’s last match was a 5-1 loss to Bayern Munich on December 20, 2024. Werder is only two points back of the host team, and won four straight in all competitions heading into the break.

FA Cup: No EPL this weekend, but how about Arsenal vs. Man United in the FA Cup third round? It must be a bit frustrating for the two Premier League clubs to have to play each other considering the availability in the draw of several Championship, League One, League 2, and even lower level clubs (Dagenham and Rebridge from National League is travelling to Championship side Millwall). Alas, it has to be the best viewing option this weekend and is availble to stream in Canada on Sportsnet+. Though for neutrals, that’s probably the most interesting single match, the FA Cup usually springs a surprise or two around the third round, so any match has the potential to offer some intrigue.

La Liga: Meh. Barcelona and Real Madrid are playing on Monday in the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia. The league matches this weekend aren’t much to write home about.

Ligue 1: I guess PSG vs. St. Etienne (Sunday, January 12 at 2:45 p.m. on FuboTV Canada) is interesting because Ligue 1 perennial champions can score lots of goals and play very attractive football against the lower table sides in France.

Thanks for reading! Ciao for now!

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