Toronto FC announced today that forward Sebastian Giovinco has been sold to Saudi Arabian side, Al-Hilal FC of the Saudi Professional League.
“I’d like to thank the fans and my teammates for four special years playing for Toronto FC,” said Sebastian Giovinco. “I’d also like to thank the club for helping me as I transition into the next phase of my career.”
Giovinco, 32, originally joined Toronto FC on January 19, 2015 from Juventus, of Italy’s Serie A. In four seasons with TFC, Giovinco made 142 appearances with 83 goals and 64 assists across all competitions (MLS, MLS Cup Playoffs, Concacaf Champions League, Canadian Championship and Campeones Cup). He was part of Toronto FC’s 2017 “Treble” winning side, won two additional Canadian Championships (2016, 2018), two Eastern Conference Championships (2016, 2017) and reached the final of the 2018 Concacaf Champions League. In 2015, his first season with TFC, Giovinco won the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award along with the MLS Golden Boot and MLS Newcomer of the Year. He was named to the MLS Best XI three times (2015, 2016, 2017), and was an MLS All-Star four times (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). Additionally, Giovinco was the George Gross Memorial Trophy winner (2017), the 2018 Concacaf Champions League Golden Ball winner and was named to both the Concacaf and Concacaf Champions League Best XI in 2018.
“Seba is any GM’s dream. Coming into the organization, I was really excited to work with him and get to know him as a person and as a player,” said Toronto FC General Manager Ali Curtis. “We believe in consistency, so this transfer hits hard in a lot of places. I have so much respect for Sebastian as a player and what he has meant to the organization. His departure presents both challenges and opportunities. Obviously, replacing a player like Sebastian is difficult, but we are working diligently and are confident that we will be adding a new Designated Player in the near future who will be an exciting addition to our team.”
Giovinco departs as Toronto FC’s all-time leading goal scorer across all competitions with 83 goals and a number of club and league records.
“This was an extremely emotional transaction for our club. We’d like to thank Seba for all he did for TFC during his time with the club. He gave our fans many thrilling moments during his four years, especially during our championship season in 2017,” said Toronto FC President Bill Manning. “He leaves Toronto as the greatest player in club history. We wish Seba and his family nothing but the best as he begins a new chapter.”
TRANSACTION: Toronto FC forward Sebastian Giovinco has been sold to Saudi Arabian side, Al-Hilal FC.
