Vancouver Whitecaps split with left back Ali Adnan following extended visa issues

By: The Canadian Press Posted: 2:00 PM CDT Saturday, Jul. 3, 2021 Last Modified: 2:01 PM CDT Saturday, Jul. 3, 2021

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Whitecaps have parted ways with defender Ali Adnan following extended visa issues.

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VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Whitecaps have parted ways with defender Ali Adnan following extended visa issues.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/07/2021 (1857 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have parted ways with defender Ali Adnan following extended visa issues.

The club announced Saturday that it had agreed to a “mutual contract termination” with the 27-year-old Iraqi international.

Adnan has not played for the ‘Caps (2-6-2) this season because issues with his U.S. visa kept the left back in Canada when pandemic-related border restrictions forced the team to relocate to Sandy, Utah.

Vancouver Whitecaps fullback Ali Adnan (53) passes the ball while being challenged by defender Eric White (76) during the MLS soccer team's training camp in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, March 30, 2021. The Vancouver Whitecaps have parted ways with defender Ali Adnan following extended visa issues. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement that the visa issues were “out of all of our control,” and after a number of discussions, the club and Adnan “agreed to go in different directions.”

Adnan came to Vancouver on loan from Serie A side Udinese in March 2019 and the move was made permanent that summer when he signed on as a designated player.

He played 53 games for the Whitecaps, scoring three goals and recording 10 assists, and fans voted him the club’s player of the year in 2020.

Adnan said in a statement that he’s thankful to the club for working to try and find a solution for a very difficult situation.

“I am also very grateful for all the support from the Whitecaps fans, my teammates and everyone at the club for two memorable seasons,” he said. “I will forever be a fan of this club and Vancouver will always have a special place in my heart.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2021.