Barcelona has yesterday officially withdrawn its bid for an MLS team in the city of Miami.
The official statement made by Barcelona reads as follows:
"Major League Soccer, FC Barcelona and businessman Marcelo Claure have jointly agreed to not pursue the candidacy for Miami to have a new franchise in the expanding MLS.
After extensive talks and a joint evaluation, the decision was made because it is not viable at this time, due to the adverse market conditions, to start a new team in the south of Florida in 2010.
Despite that, FC Barcelona maintains its commitment with the MLS and the United States and will continue to work with them and with Marcelo Claure on other soccer-related projects."
The official statement also contains some further explanation and reactions: "I would like to thank FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure for the effort that they put in to trying to found a team in the city of Miami, MLS agent Don Garber stated. "FC Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in sport and is strategically very well placed within the industry and I think them for the opportunity of working both them and with Marcelo Claure over the past few months," he added.
The corporate director general of FC Barcelona, Joan Oliver, explained that the North American market continues to be a priority for the club. "We will continue with our agreement of promotion and marketing with Soccer United Marketing (the business that controls the commercial side of the MLS) and we will seek ways to strengthen our relationship with this organisation, as well as with the fans in the United States," he explained
Marcelo Claure also spoke as he said. "I would like to reiterate my confidence in the MLS and in the future of professional soccer within the United States, above all in the south of Florida. Despite not being able to move this initiative any further forward on this occasion, due to various reasons, I will continue to work with FC Barcelona on other soccer projects in the south of Florida."
Read more:
FCB Miami: Barcelona reconsidering MLS deal
Plans for new US tour confirmed
FCB Miami: Team could start in 2010
Wednesday 4 March 2009
FCB Miami: Bid for MLS team withdrawn
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4 comments:
FC Barcelona CEO?!
I agree with you Pep, Laporta has been dying to carry on doing something related to the club after his tenure.
Another question springs to my mind is the whole Camp Nou renovation fiasco, what has happened to it? Last time I heard was that the project was suspended due to financial problems.
Last thing I heard was that they're still waiting for the licences from teh city of Barcelona for the project to go through.
But it doesn't seem to advance at all, there's a lot of public resistence against the whole project (that also includes the disappearing of the Miniestadi).
The financial crises is a main factor behind the change in plans. I think this project was a very good lesson to learn from for the future. If the project took place earlier or the crises happened little bit later then a damage would have happened. Lucky Us.
Still I am sure there will always be other ideas. USA is a growing market for football -soccer- clubs. It may turn to be the new "east Asia" within 10 years. If the national pride in US accepted a sport to compete with baseball and Basketball. I am not from USA, but I feel this is one of the reasons that prevent this game from growing there.
I never "felt" this project. There are better ways to be present in the US than setting up a team.
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