Whitecaps sell Sanvezzo

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Vancouver Whitecaps' Camilo Sanvezzo, of Brazil, celebrates his second of three goals. 

Shortly after being named to his first head coaching job, Carl Robinson was on the phone with Camilo Sanvezzo to talk about getting the Vancouver Whitecaps' star striker a new contract.

Robinson said that December conversation was cordial, with Sanvezzo expressing excitement about what lay ahead for the Whitecaps in 2014.

"Three days later he was in Mexico with an opposition shirt on," said Robinson. "So obviously that put the cat amongst the pigeons and then we needed to address that situation."

The Whitecaps finally did that on Friday, selling Major League Soccer's top scorer to Queretaro F.C. in what it called a "multi-million dollar" deal that ended a messy, two-week long soap opera.

Sanvezzo's departure opens up a spot for some of Vancouver's younger players, including strikers Darren Mattocks, Omar Salgado and Kekuta Manneh.

"We have some guys that are ironically enough pretty excited that Camilo's not coming back, not for the fact that they don't get along with him but (because) it's going to provide opportunities," said Lenarduzzi.

The off-season was anything but quiet for the Whitecaps before the Sanvezzo soap opera took centre stage in the new year.

The 37-year-old Robinson, just past the first month at the helm, said the Sanvezzo saga has been a learning experience.

"I've dealt with it professionally and honestly and the club has done the same as well," said the Welshman. "I'm sure I'll be a better person for it and a better head coach moving forward."