Nani stresses he will support safe return
Orlando City captain Nani has pushed back against an article that suggested he strongly objected to an MLS tournament that could be played in Orlando if approved by the MLS Players Association.
The Athletic reported Nani, who has young children; LAFC’s Carlos Vela, whose wife is pregnant; and L.A. Galaxy’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, whose son will turn 1 in June, were “mentioned specifically as harboring reservations” about the format of the Orlando tournament.
MLS is proposing players be sequestered at a hotel adjacent to ESPN Wide World of Sports on Disney World property, where matches would be played. Families would not be allowed to join them for the two-month event and they would not be able to move freely on the property, according to reports by The Athletic, ESPN and the Washington Post.
The restrictions prompted Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya to refer to the Disney resort hotel where players could be housed as “a luxurious prison” during an interview with ESPN’s Taylor Twellman.
Nani pushed back against an article suggesting he objected to a tournament.
Nani released a statement that stressed he would support a safe return to play.
“I’d like to clarify that I never talked with anyone, on or off the record, about the rumored Orlando tournament idea,” he said. “Like many of my teammates and those around the league, I am very eager to get back to playing and I will support a detailed plan that is driven by player and staff safety.”