Quote:
Miami will not get new MLS franchise
NEW YORK (TICKER) —Major League Soccer will not be returning to Miami - at least not yet.
The league is planning on adding two more franchises for the 2011 season, in addition to the Seattle franchise this season and a Philadelphia club beginning play in 2010. However, MLS announced Tuesday that Miami has been removed as a possible expansion location due to “adverse market conditions.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the league has failed to survive in that region. The Miami Fusion, which began play in 1998, drew poor attendance numbers before being contracted in 2001 after four seasons in the league.
The Spanish club FC Barcelona had teamed up with the MLS and Miami-based businessman Marcelo Claure - who is also president of Club Bolivar in Bolivia - to scope out the market in south Florida for a potential new bid. The city was announced late last year as one of the seven finalists for the two expansion franchises.
“I want to thank both FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure for the tremendous effort to bring an MLS expansion team to Miami,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “FC Barcelona is one of the best managed and strategically operated sporting clubs in any sport in the world and I appreciate the opportunity that we have had to work with them and Marcelo Claure over the last few months.”
The proposal for a new squad was to include a stadium deal with Florida International University, with the expansion club slated to play at the school’s FIU Stadium. However, poor economic conditions have prevented further plans from going forward.
“I remain a believer in MLS and the future of professional soccer in America … particularly in South Florida,” Claure said. “Although we have not been able to move forward at this time for a wide variety of reasons, I will work with FC Barcelona on other soccer projects in South Florida.”
The list of seven potential expansion cities has now been reduced to four. Montreal withdrew its bid in November and Atlanta was not able to secure stadium funding. Potential destinations that remain include Ottawa, St. Louis, Vancouver and Portland, Oregon.
The expansion Seattle Sounders will begin play this season, while the Philadelphia franchise kicking off in 2010 has yet to be named.
NEW YORK (TICKER) —Major League Soccer will not be returning to Miami - at least not yet.
The league is planning on adding two more franchises for the 2011 season, in addition to the Seattle franchise this season and a Philadelphia club beginning play in 2010. However, MLS announced Tuesday that Miami has been removed as a possible expansion location due to “adverse market conditions.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the league has failed to survive in that region. The Miami Fusion, which began play in 1998, drew poor attendance numbers before being contracted in 2001 after four seasons in the league.
The Spanish club FC Barcelona had teamed up with the MLS and Miami-based businessman Marcelo Claure - who is also president of Club Bolivar in Bolivia - to scope out the market in south Florida for a potential new bid. The city was announced late last year as one of the seven finalists for the two expansion franchises.
“I want to thank both FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure for the tremendous effort to bring an MLS expansion team to Miami,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “FC Barcelona is one of the best managed and strategically operated sporting clubs in any sport in the world and I appreciate the opportunity that we have had to work with them and Marcelo Claure over the last few months.”
The proposal for a new squad was to include a stadium deal with Florida International University, with the expansion club slated to play at the school’s FIU Stadium. However, poor economic conditions have prevented further plans from going forward.
“I remain a believer in MLS and the future of professional soccer in America … particularly in South Florida,” Claure said. “Although we have not been able to move forward at this time for a wide variety of reasons, I will work with FC Barcelona on other soccer projects in South Florida.”
The list of seven potential expansion cities has now been reduced to four. Montreal withdrew its bid in November and Atlanta was not able to secure stadium funding. Potential destinations that remain include Ottawa, St. Louis, Vancouver and Portland, Oregon.
The expansion Seattle Sounders will begin play this season, while the Philadelphia franchise kicking off in 2010 has yet to be named.
