The saga of Camilo Sanvezzo took another strange and seemingly definitive turn on Monday, when a photo of the Vancouver Whitecaps star in a the jersey of a Mexican club was disseminated on the internet by the team’s official Twitter account.
Sanvezzo – the 25-year-old reigning MLS Golden Boot winner who is under contract with the Whitecaps through the 2014 season – is shown smiling while donning the jersey of Mexican side Querétaro while apparently in a club training room.
The picture followed another tweet from the official Querétaro account that welcomed newcomer Diego Guastavino.
“And also Camilo Sanvezzo, who is here to greet all our fans of
#
Gallos,” reads the translated caption of the Sanvezzo photo.
The club followed with another photo of both players arm in arm, with the caption: "Welcome Diego and Camilo!"
The move comes in stark contrast to all recent reports out of Vancouver, which indicated that the two clubs had not discussed a potential transfer and that the Whitecaps expected him to return after a career year in 2013.
Greg Anderson, the Whitecaps' director of pro teams, told The VancouverSun on Thursday there has been no discussion with Querétaro or Sanvezzo’s agent and that FIFA transfer regulations regarding the selling and buying of players are “bullet proof.”
Added Anderson: “A player just can’t go and sign with another club.”
A Whitecaps spokesman declined to comment on the photo on Monday, but insisted that Sanvezzo is under contract with the club and is expected to report to preseason training later this month. The team later tweeted out the striker is still under contract with the club, and that the league has now gotten involved:
A Major League Soccer spokesperson deferred comment to the Whitecaps on Monday.
CentralDeportiva.com reported last week that the Querétaro president Adolfo Ríos was under the impression that Sanvezzo was a free agent, and that the player’s agent had led him to believe he was available for a free transfer.
Camilo scored a league-leading 22 goals in 2013, and earned a selection to the MLS All-Star team and scored the AT&T Goal of the Year. The Whitecaps – who signed him before their 2011 MLS expansion season – picked up the option on his contract in November.
