Relevant Sports has filed a second lawsuit against U.S. Soccer this calendar year in regards to sanctioning.
The Washington Post reported that Relevant Sports, a company owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, filed a lawsuit over the governing body’s refusal to sanction international league matches in the U.S. A similar case was filed last Spring in New York state court.
Relevant is represented by Jeffrey Kessler, the same lawyer working with the U.S. Women’s National Team in its legal battle with U.S. Soccer over compensation.
The USSF originally refused to sanction a league match between Ecuadorian outfits Barcelona and Guayaquil on May 5th in Miami Gardens, Florida. Relevant’s second lawsuit pertained to a proposal involving La Liga sides Barcelona and Girona, a proposal which the Spanish federation refused to grant permission for.
USSF president Carlos Cordeiro also allegedly refused to discuss the possibility of moving last year’s Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate also to Miami Gardens. The second leg was moved from Argentina to Madrid, Spain because of security concerns.
The USSF is being accused of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and of tortious interference. Relevant was anticipating paying $2.4 million this year to the USSF in order for them to sanction exhibition games.
U.S. Soccer did not comment on the accusations.
Sounds like a cash-grab by Relevant Sports.
They could play the game here by renting a stadium and playing a game. No one can stop them from playing a game.
They wanted the game to be FIFA sanctioned so the “owner” of the territory, USSF, needed to sanction it?
USSF protecting their franchise. Makes sense to me.
ICC is bad enough. We don’t need other leagues playing their regular season games here in the US.