FC Edmonton made move for Barbara, but releases him from pre-contract By Steven Sandor Posted on December 21, 2012 3 0 891 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Etienne Barbara FC Edmonton was extremely close to signing 2011 NASL MVP Etienne Barbara, but that deal has been aborted. FCE Director of Soccer Operations Joe Petrone confirmed Friday that Barbara had previously signed a letter of intent to come to the Eddies. The letter of intent is a form that comes before an official contract offer, which indicates a player is set on negotiating terms with a specific team. But, due to undisclosed personal and family issues, Barbara was forced to change his mind. And FC Edmonton said it has allowed him to be released from any obligation to the club. “Due to certain personal issues, we have decided to allow Etienne Barbara to pursue other options,” said Petrone. After leading the NASL in scoring as a member of the Carolina RailHawks in 2011, Barbara was signed by the Whitecaps after Vancouver acquired his MLS rights from Montreal. He made a $87,500 salary with the Whitecaps. Barbara was reunited with coach Martin Rennie, but thanks to a series of injuries, spent almost all of the season on the sidelines, though he did have a penalty kick saved by FCE’s David Monsalve in the Amway Canadian Championship. He was released by Vancouver at the end of the 2012 season, and FCE, the NASL’s lowest-scoring team, offered him a deal.
