Zambrano said that earlier this year, Hutchinson told him that he was planning to play his final game for Canada.
“I know that when I spoke to Atiba he was feeling down, he was going through an injury, he wasn’t sure if Besiktas was going to extend his contract. But they did… I talked him out of it. I said ‘don’t make a decision you don’t have to make.’ You can still give Canada some precious moments in soccer. You can help this country achieve some milestones. You can be part of us making it for 2022.
“I know that he wants to come back to Canada, to play for one of the teams in MLS. But the way he’s playing now, I think it serves us better for him to keep playing in Europe, so we can continue to enjoy watching him play there.
And Zambrano said that the new advanced statistic measures only add proof to Hutchinson’s value.