Six years passed between the idea of creating a franchise, and its appearance in MLS (the North American "soccer" championship). David Beckham, the originator of the project, can be proud of how far he has come during these long years of waiting. But he can also be scared for all he has to do.
What desire…
In 2007, the English player entered MLS, with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He stayed there until 2012, although he was loaned to AC Milan in the meantime. It was during his time in the American championship that he obtained the basis of his future project: the right to create his franchise for 25 million dollars, against 150 million usually. As a reminder, MLS, unlike traditional championships like in Europe, is a closed league. That is, there is no other way to access it than by paying. There is therefore no ascent and descent system.
During the first years, the Englishman, very invested in his project, will approach shareholders for his future club. He will succeed in 2017. On September 5, 2018, he announces the name and logo of his franchise on social networks: he opts for Inter Miami, for “the incredible energy of one of the most exciting cities in world, its diversity, its passion, its ambitions ”. A name that will not please a resident of Serie A: Inter Milan. The latter will sue the club when it was not even completely out of the ground. And it is not impossible that the project of the man with 115 capes with the Three Lions is forced to change his name in the years to come.
Inter Miami you say? https://t.co/NcdUfKjPH6
- Inter (@Inter_en) September 5, 2018… But what pitfalls
The all-new club will play their first home game on March 14 at Lockhart Stadium in Florida. The former Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a non-professional soccer team, was bought by the new Miami club in January 2019. A few months later, renovations begin for a new stadium with a capacity of 18,000. seats. But it will only be temporary, and will then serve as a center for life and training.
In fact, work on their own stadium, named the Miami Freedom Park, with a capacity of 26,000 seats, will be completed at least around 2022. Probably more. Because unforeseen circumstances delay the start of the Herculean construction site, which includes a whole city complex: hotels, shopping centers, parks, offices, for an announced cost of close to one billion dollars, according to the American media The Architect's Newspaper . All in a dense city. This required requisitioning 64 hectares of a golf course. A long and exhausting legal battle for the former footballer, who went through Real Madrid and PSG. But who will look in his favor, when 60% of local voters will approve the complex after a referendum in 2018. "I am more persistent than I thought, and more stubborn than my wife thought." There wasn't a time when I was going to give up, ”said Beckham.
See this post on Instagram
40 days and counting .. This is becoming more real every day ... So excited ⚽️ @intermiamicf
A publication shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on Feb 3. 2020 at 7: 29 PST
Thus begins the story of the 26th franchise of MLS, which joins the Eastern Conference. To go where ? The British owner replied, "We want to be recognized as one of the best and most feared franchises in MLS. I want to create a legacy that my children can look back to 20 years from now and say, "My father helped start this club," as reported by the Daily Mail. Quite simply. Now it only remains to build a competitive team. The easiest part of club building ... or not.
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