“There is so much work to be done,” remarked Alex Morgan, addressing the existing problems and poor work environment at San Diego Wave. Despite the high of winning the 2023 NWSL Shield, things have gone off-kilter for them, evident with their on-pitch struggles or the sacking of head coach Casey Stoney. Now the latest setback is the departure of president Jill Ellis, prompting Sebastian Salazar to echo Morgan’s concerns, saying he understands why she is eager to leave the ‘seemingly toxic work environment.’

The former USWNT coach who led the American ladies to two successful World Cups in 2015 and 2019 has accepted the newly created role of FIFA, becoming the Chief Football Officer. While it is indeed an attractive job to consider, Salazar is rather ‘torn‘ to see Ellis leave, just like many people around US Soccer and fans. Having worked around and with her, he described Jill as ‘nothing but cordial and professional.’

Then again, the former Colombian star does realize why the iconic USA manager decided to leave the NWSL club. “It’s very difficult to ignore the timeline and everything that has been happening at San Diego over the last year—this overwhelming flow of evidence that does not put Jill Ellis the leader and the manager in a very good light,” he said on ESPN FC’s Futbol W segment.

Salazer cited the example of John Herdman, who left Toronto FC in the midst of a scandal, insisting that this is exactly the situation Ellis and San Diego were in. “Jill Ellis is leaving San Diego in the middle of a scandal for another job but nobody is talking about that scandal. I get it why she’d wanna leave San Diego.”

Further underscoring the Waves’ problems, the ESPN pundit added, “They don’t have a coach, hardly have a field or a facility; that’s even a problem. Some of this is Jill Ellis’ responsibility that we’ll eventually find out. You have got a seemingly toxic work environment out there.”

Though Salazer does call Ellis leaving San Diego an ‘attractive‘ opportunity, he is not settled with her leaving for FIFA. Even if the 58-year-old will be working with Arsene Wenger, the former soccer star doesn’t put a ‘lot of stock in that position.’ But why?

Sebastian Salazer bets his ‘bottom dollar’ on why Jill Ellis joining FIFA may have negative implications for the women’s game!

While Seb does have a lot of respect for Arsene Wenger, he sees the iconic manager as a ‘paid shill of all of Gianni Infantino and FIFA’s bad ideas.’ Be it VAR, the blue card, or even suggesting the idea of playing the World Cup in winter in the Middle East, Salazer claims that FIFA is taking advantage of Wenger’s credibility in the beautiful game to sell all of their bad ideas.

While Sebastian has backed Jill to contribute to all the crucial things, he hopes the same doesn’t happen with her in her new role. “I hope she doesn’t become a mouthpiece for all the bad and greedy ideas that are coming out of FIFA right now about this game… Bet your bottom dollar, it’s coming for the women’s game as well. There is an incredible amount of greed that is putting players second and FIFA is at the core of that,” said Salazer.

“We need true football people at FIFA, not all the business folks that Gianni Infantino has surrounded himself with,” added the pundit, further taking a dig at FIFA on how they view games for their own sake rather than for players. Keeping his fingers crossed that Ellis doesn’t join the dark side of the apex authority.

This is surely quite an eye-opening claim from Sebastian Salazer. Either way, time will tell how it goes for Jill Ellis as FIFA’s Chief Football Officer, while also seeing whether things will get to change for San Diego Waves or not.