By DAN KARELL
David Beckham has been keeping a low profile since his latest downtown stadium proposal was rejected, but news on a potential MLS franchise in Miami could be coming soon.
Speaking on a morning program on Univision, Bolivian entrepreneur Marcelo Claure, a member of Beckham’s MLS ownership group, stated that he believes the hurdles that Beckham has had to overcome may be a thing of the past.
“We have a new project which is buying a soccer team for Miami,” Claure said. “We are partners with David Beckham, and with all the problems that we have had with Miami politicians [for a] stadium, I think we’re in the final part of making some important announcements.”
Claure, who is the CEO of Sprint Corp. and who’s net worth is close to $1 billion, claimed that he wouldn’t stop working until he’s successful at bringing an MLS team to Miami.
“It can’t be that the most Latin city in the country doesn’t have a soccer team,” Claure said. “My job is to make sure to change that.
“It’s very important to me that Miami has a soccer team.”
Claure’s comments follow similar ones from Beckham on Sept. 10, when he told Bloomberg that he was confident that bringing a team to Miami “will happen.” Beckham was recently invited by a City of Miami commissioner to take a look at a piece of waterfront property that could be turned into a stadium. That property was the former home of the Miami Herald.
Beckham and his ownership group announced in February 2014 that they were exercising their option to operate an MLS expansion franchise, and had chosen Miami as their target location.
Initially, Beckham attempted to acquire a portion of land on the southwest corner of PortMiami, but shifted his view towards an under-utilized boat slip near the AmericanAirlines Arena after significant commercial opposition. However, Miami mayor Tomás Regalado ruled the second stadium site out after a meeting with Beckham’s real estate advisor John Alschuler and city manager Daniel Alfonso on June 10.
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What do you think of this report? Do you expect a major stadium announcement soon? Do you think that Claure is just bluffing?
Share your thoughts below.
Just looked up and Claure does live in Miami. As a RB fan, we know how important it can be having not only big pockets but local owners that care. This guy cares and knows about football. He owns Bolivar as well.
Yes
I go see both Red Bulls and Cosmos
Have a good time at both and thats what counts
Two different leagues with two different approaches
Both have good qualities and bad
And thats okay
+1 Refreshing perspective. Good to hear.
I don’t get MLS…
They don’t even have a team?
And they talk about stadiums??
Same with Miami, NYFC, ETC…
wow, i go to NASL games (Cosmos) and I find you exhausting
Why?
You didn’t get the question?
You go to Cosmos game?
Good choice… But it’s has nothing to do with the question..
Didn’t I read not too long ago Don Garber say there has to be a downtown stadium for Miami to get a team?
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/7/29/5947091/mls-miami-stadium-don-garber
I can’t see it being in Ft. Lauderdale as was suggested in the comments section above. That didn’t work out when it was the Miami Fusion.
I also don’t see Chivas USA being moved to Miami as was also suggested in the comments section above. I know I’ve repeatedly read that MLS wants a team in LA in a downtown stadium as rivals to the Galaxy. I also recently read that Chivas USA may be sold as soon as October and the team may sit out a season or two and be re-branded.
http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/09/12/chivas-usa-mls-sale-rebrand-sit-out-2015-hiatus-expansion
Ahhh, to me the obvious candidate for an acquired team – can we say Chivas Miami?
I wish Garber would give up LA2 and let Becks move them to Miami, but, it’s not likely.
there’s no point. Beckham already has his Miami team so long as he has a stadium. so if Garber agreed to give up on LA2, it would make more sense to give it to Sacramento or another qualified ownership group…
either way, MLS said they are going to announce an LA2 owner by the end of the year because they are finalizing the details.
MLS has an LA2 buyer… That’s news to me.
we don’t know who it is, but her is a quote from Mark Abbott from last Friday:
“In reply to SI.com’s request for comment, MLS deputy commissioner Mark Abbott said, ‘We remain focused on the process for selling the club to a new owner, which we hope to complete by the end of the year. We do not intend to comment further on the sales process until it is complete or on speculation about the status of the club.’ “
so basically, hope and aspiration, nothing solid at all. Typical MLS spin. If there was a potential buyer out there, we’d have heard about it by now.
No way that happens. Beckham gets his team at a steep discount, while MLS is looking to sell Chivas at market rate (my guess is somewhere between $70 – $100 million).
$100+ million has already been bid for LA2 apparently… if you believe the Don, who is so full of headlines this week I’m not sure what to believe.
As for the initial point… yes Beckham is getting a discount per his deal. But yes, deals can always be re-negotiated. There is always a deal to be made. Existing valuations and price points are just a starting point for a deal.
But I think MLS’s bigger problem is that the Becks team doesn’t know what they are doing, and having seen how badly NYCFC is getting hosed, they’d rather see them take over an existing franchise with existing siting/contracts, than go it alone and further embarrass themselves.
so we can basically assume that Plan C, the old Miami Herald site, is going to happen.
The bldg on the water front will be the sight. There’s absolutely no chance Beckham goes to ft Lauderdale.
Will be interesting to see if the old Miami Herald building is the stadium site. Looks like a sweet location along the water and super close to downtown, if it is a big enough piece of property for a stadium and parking,
Can’t wait to have a team down here.
That would be an amazing site for a stadium.
Glad he called out the politicians. They are less than worthless, even for a politician.
Hey Beck! Dude! Don’t be another MLS Beeach..
Come to NASL and but the Strikers!!!
😀
That’s cute.
Dude…if Becks & Claure buy the Strikers, they will be leaving the NASL.
No~ he’s going to do a come back!!!
David Beckham is going to play for the Strikers!!!
He’s is not done yet!!
He’s is going to be like Farve of soccer!!
LoL
thatll be donovan in a couple of years
…or lalas, who did come back after a year retired
That would make no sense. Becks technically already owns a team by virtue of him exercising his rights and being an owner in MLS. Unless they want to be in Ft Lauderdale in a renovated Lockhart stadium, there is no reason to buy the Strikers.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the Ft. Launderdale Strikers major announcement on Friday?
+1
Now you see the truth…
Strikers are going to renovate Lockhart? Any other ideas as to Friday’s announcement?
Ultras Alive podcast says inside skinny on FTL is new Brazilian ownership group. Deal to renovate Lockhart is already public knowledge I thought. Hope they steer clear of MLS.
See, I like NASL…
No drama!!
Yeah, no drama at all. No Virginia franchise that is stillborn. No Oklahoma City franchise ownership drama. No drama at all.
I guess if you choose not to see drama, you won’t. Fanboy.