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Chivas CEO: “We don’t have the economic power of MLS”

Bringing Carlos Vela wasn’t an easy process for LAFC, but it was made easier due to the cash they were able to offer the Mexican international.

Vela attracted interest from Liga MX side Chivas, but the Mexican club’s CEO Jose Luis Higuera admitted the club doesn’t have the economic power MLS does.

“We made contact with Vela and we were very close, but if they beat you to it, they beat you to it,” Higuera said on ESPN’s Futbol Picante podcast. “We can’t compare ourselves or be irresponsible with the people, we don’t have the economic power of MLS.

“The day that MLS decides to go for Europeans and to have a Champions [League], they have the power and money to do it and players dance for money.”

In the same interview, Higuera mentioned that Chivas was close to a deal with Vela before LAFC swooped in and signed him to a contract that starts in 2018.

Comments

  1. The only “only” I believe in this case is that “only” a narrow-minded, ignorant ‘tard would make such an absolute statement.

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  2. I refuse to compare MLS to Liga MX on the basis of CCL results until the day arrives when we’re not playing knockout round games in February/March (MLS preseason).

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    • @Tyler, Champions League play in games in Europe start in preseason there and they don’t make excuses about it. Brazil Serie A season starts in February and ends in December. Mexico technically plays two season and Apertura and Clausara with breaks in between. Its a disadvantage for sure, but LigaMX could also claim they’re at a disadvantage during early group stage games starting in August and September. I think a lot fans want a competition like this too happen and for MLS and LigaMX to work towards it happening. Maybe MLS should change its schedule to make it work better for international competitions including international breaks. Maybe the can work around it too and just not make it the excuse it they’ve made it out to be for not getting results in CCL too.

      I just want to see great club matchups in my region in a competition that means something instead of watching group stage matches where gloried cow pastures are called a pitch.

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    • teams in norway say the same thing, until uefa reschedules the tournament to work for their climate will we ever really know if real madrid is better than lillestom or valerenga? … just kidding they don’t say such nonsense only americans would make such an excuse.

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  3. Let’s not blow this statement out of proportion. Yeah, some MLS teams may be able to pay $8-10 million for DPs and poach an occasional “star” such as Vela or GDS, but the rest of the rosters are woefully underpaid. Until we can match up with Liga MX from 1-11, this isn’t reality.

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    • You’re right. No comparison on payrolls, the Liga Mx is so much bigger. The MLS does pretty good considering that previous to the next CCL, the MLS usually played the Mexican teams on day 8 of their League Season, while the MLS was till in per-season. Its not impossible but extremely hard to play a competitive series when you opponent is near mid-season form and you’ve yet to play a League match, especially when they have a larger deeper roster than you. The MLS goes after the lone Mexican star to put butts-on-seats in their new stadium but know as well as the Liga Mx that the “economic power”, much like a republican tax plan, is trickle-down economics. Those at the top gets the money, the rest the “trickle”

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  4. So we are catching up to LigaMX at least economically, still nothing to show from that in CCL yet.

    Which bring up CCL. I really wish they revamp this competition so that it becomes more of LigaMX v MLS type competition with a handful of token central american and caribbean clubs mixed in.

    Imagine if Mexico and the US got 6 spots each along with the champions of the Central American, Caribbean, and Canadian cups for along with the winner from last year. for 16 teams in 4 groups of 4, followed by quarters and so on.

    I can’t stand the current format having to watch group stage matches against W Connection or Arabe Unido all the time or whatever other bush league team it is. Having a the champions of their cups from those regions is enough. Including too many and no one wants to watch it.

    I would want and look forward to watching group stages that looked like this:

    Monterray, Seattle, NYRB, Saprissa

    Pachua, Atlanta, Club America, Toronto

    NYCFC, Cruz Azul, Tigres, W Connection

    Portland, Sporting KC, Santos Laguna, Tiajuana

    By limiting the spot for central american and caribbean it makes the group stage matches much more marketable to soccer fans and should increase view ship by making this more of a LigaMX v MLS competition.

    To get the central american and caribean federation to fall in line just have the north american federation of Mexico, US, and Canada threaten to leave the CCL and thereby effectively ending it and any revenues the central american and caribean clubs currently get from it. If they still out vote it we just walk and start our own competition which would be even better

    Here is how Plan B works if the central americans and caribean federations don’t fall in line and north america federation withdraw from CCL to form their own regional tournament:

    Goups could be even better than Plan A;

    Monterray, Seattle, NYRB, Toluca

    Pachua, Atlanta, Club America, Toronto,

    NYCFC, Cruz Azul, Tigres, Chicago

    Portland, SKC, Santos Laguna, Tiajuana

    Either option creates a far more marketable product that would add revenue to the clubs participating. Getting soccer fans in the US and Mexico to watch and increase tv ratings is what will drive this competition to higher levels and create more dollars for clubs and league. This not only increase money for the sport but gives MLS and LigaMX something international to play for other than flying 8000 mile round trips to Copa Libertadores matches.

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  5. If this is true, MLS ought to significantly raise the salary cap and become as good a league as Liga MX. In fact, they ought to do away with DP’s, TAM and all this confusing crap and just say, you can spend up to $20 million per year on salaries. And then raise that total as revenue increases. It’s what the other major league sports in the US do.

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    • So where would the 20 Mil come from? Certainly not from the rich national TV contract that pays the MLS about 4M per team. It wont come from the game day gate for a 22K stadium either.

      For the MLS to get to the point where they can have a 20M per team roster, the MLS will need to get a much richer TV contract. Other wise, the MLS and its owners will spend each other into an early graveyard of past Leagues that failed in the US. The MLS are on the right track to stability by imposing requirements that include roster caps and exemptions (like TAM), player acquisition rules, which limit competition and costs, and making the teams build and own their own stadiums to control revenue, instead of renting cavernous NFL stadiums.

      Yes, its frustrating to Fans, but its better to be frustrated when you team cannot get a good player, than be frustrated becasue you do not have a team which went bankrupt buying the players you want.

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      • Imagine if USSF spent a portion of their $159M profit investing in the domestic league (and implemented Domestic roster/minutes quotas)… Give each team a $5M bonus to go along with (eventually) a higher TV deal and now you’re approaching that $20M range. Not to mention, if a team can spend that much on players, bringing a high octane squad is possible and makes the margin better for an interested VC group…

        There is a solution but i fear too many stubborn CEOs and the like will make selfish decisions in the next 18 months of US Soccer, disallowing the chance to properly grow this league.

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