Canada's national team head coach Jesse Marsch has publicly criticised President Donald Trump's rhetoric about Canada becoming the "51st state" of America.
The American coach did not mince his words when addressing Trump directly.
"If I have one message to our president, it's lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state," Marsch said.
"As an American, I'm ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we've shown one of our historically oldest, strongest, and most loyal allies."
Jesse Marsch hit out at Donald Trump over his comments on CanadaReutersMarsch's forthright comments quickly went viral, drawing praise from Canadians but raising alarms elsewhere.
The former Leeds United manager revealed that concerns for his safety began almost immediately.
"This person said, 'Yeah, but don't you worry about somebody coming after you?' I kind of chuckled a little bit," he recounted on The Athletic FC podcast.
The frequency of such warnings troubled him.
"The 50th person that said that to me made me think, 'What kind of world are we living in?'" Marsch reflected.
"It was important, especially as an American to stand up for a country that even though it's not mine deserves different treatment, better treatment."
The coach described his stance as "a professional responsibility but also a personal attachment to my professional responsibility."
He believes it's crucial that people don't "get numb to things that they believe strongly about."
Marsch's comments came after Canada defeated the US 2-1 in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place play-off.
Despite concerns from others, Marsch dismissed fears for his safety.
"I'm a soccer coach, people don't care that much about my political opinions," he stated bluntly.
Donald Trump made comments saying he wanted Canada to be the '51st state'
GETTYHe believes the public is more interested in "if my team wins" than his views on politics.
Nevertheless, the 51-year-old acknowledged that many Canadians "appreciate that I see the indecency and that I'm willing to speak up about it."
He emphasised his comments weren't self-serving but about recognising "the Canadian community" and ensuring his players "deserve to be appreciated and celebrated for who they are."
Despite the political controversy his comments have generated, Marsch insists his primary focus remains on his coaching duties.
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Jesse Marsch, from Wisconsin, is currently in charge of CanadaPA"In the end, it's really important for me that with everything [and] all my opinions, that I'm still entirely focused when I'm in this position," he stated.
His priority is doing "what I think is best for the team and for what we represent."
Marsch is now concentrating on preparing the Canadian team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
