Question marks loom for the Vancouver Whitecaps as players filter back into the city ahead of training camp.

During the off-season, the athletes heard from afar that head coach Vanni Sartini had been fired in mid-November. A month later came news that ownership was selling the Major League Soccer club.

鈥淲e did not expect any of that, with the coach and then especially ownership,鈥� veteran defender Ranko Vesleinovic said Monday. 鈥淏ut we couldn鈥檛 do anything. Everything is out of our hands. So we just had to stay healthy, stay fit, train. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 up to us, and the rest is up to the club to figure out everything. And they are doing it.鈥�

The team is now beginning its pre-season preparations, but a new coach has not yet been publicly named and the 鈥渇or sale鈥� sign remains.

Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld said the pending business hasn鈥檛 been a distraction.

鈥淥bviously, that鈥檚 a big thing going on at the club, but it doesn鈥檛 really affect us in our day to day,鈥� said the Scottish attacking midfielder.

鈥淲e鈥檝e still got a big season ahead of us, and, speaking to all the guys good to see them all back the last couple of days, it鈥檚 not really come up in conversation between any of us. We鈥檙e all here just to be focused on the football and make sure that we do our job.鈥�

The Whitecaps will travel to Spain on Tuesday and spend more than three weeks training in Marbella before returning to Vancouver for final tune-ups.

With less than 24 hours to go before the scheduled departure for Europe, the club had yet to unveil its new head coach on Monday.

Gauld said 鈥渋t would have been nice鈥� to have the new gaffer in, but a lengthy pre-season makes the issue less pressing.

鈥淭he first couple of weeks of pre-season season, anyway, is all about getting the fitness,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e going to be in Marbella for quite awhile. So there鈥檚 a lot of time together to to get his ideas across. And also for him to get to know everyone on a personal level as well.鈥�

The uncertainty follows a mediocre campaign, where Vancouver won its third-straight Canadian Championship title but struggled toward the end of the MLS season and finished with a 13-13-8 record.

The 鈥楥aps earned a spot in the playoffs by thumping their regional-rival Portland Timbers 5-0 in a play-in game and pushed Los Angeles FC to three games before ultimately losing their first-round series.

The post-season push showed what the team is capable of, Veselinovic said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely a positive thing and we鈥檙e going with that in our mind,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his is the season where we need to stick really together, when we need to show everybody that we鈥檙e not just going to be here for, I don鈥檛 know, just to participate. (We need) to go and try to win everything.鈥�

Training camp will feature a lighter roster than the one the 鈥楥aps finished last season with.

Vancouver has parted ways with a number of players, including forward Fafa Piccault, who was third on the team in goals last season but did not see his option picked up. The 33-year-old Haitian international will play for Inter Miami this year.

The 鈥楥aps also announced Sunday that forward Deiber Caicedo has been transferred to Colombian Categor铆a Primera A side Junior FC.

Other departures include Canadian midfielder Ryan Raposo, Austrian midfielder Alessandro Schopf and American goalkeeper Joe Bendik.

鈥淲e lost a few boys who鈥檝e been big players for us over the last year or two,鈥� Gauld said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just losing them on the pitch, but they were good guys in the change room as well. 鈥� So I would say we just still need a bit more depth. And to bring an extra little bit to the change room as well.鈥�

One player who feels he has the ability to make a bigger contribution this season is Sam Adekugbe. Injuries limited the 29-year-old Canadian left back to just 16 regular-season appearances in 2024.

鈥淲e all know, it was a hard season for me. I missed a lot of games with club football and international football,鈥� Adekugbe said. 鈥� I worked hard this off-season and I鈥檓 in the clear now. And I鈥檓 hoping that I can just be more of an important player, not just off the field, but on the field as well.鈥�

The Whitecaps鈥� first game of 2024 will come on Feb. 20 when the team visits Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa to kick off a two-legged CONCACAF Champions League matchup. Vancouver will play its first MLS game of the year on Feb. 23 when it visits the Timbers before hosting Saprissa on Feb. 27. The 鈥楥aps will hold their home opener when the L.A. Galaxy visit on March 2.