The word is after Beckham is done playing for the Galaxy, he has an option to buy an MLS club. Which club? no one truly knows. Sources point to the Galaxy though.
A little background on club ownership in the MLS:
MLS operates under a single-entity structure in which teams are centrally controlled by the league. This is to keep operating costs under control. Revenues are shared among the league, and player contracts are negotiated by the league.
At one point AEG owned 6 MLS clubs. But now are down to the LA Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. Hunt Sports also had a few clubs under their ownership. Now down to two: Columbus Crew and FC Dallas. All other clubs are owned by individuals/ownership groups. The overall plan in the future is to have an individual/ownership group to own one club, where they can put their resources into bettering that club.
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Posted: Friday March 21, 2008 07:20AM ET
David Beckham is taking MLS seriously, not just to repair the damage done by his injury-riddled 2007 season but, as Anderson Cooper will report Sunday in a "60 Minutes" profile on the English icon, he and American Idol creator Simon Fuller apparently have an option to buy an MLS team once Beckham's Galaxy days are over.
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CARSON, Calif. -- David Beckham has an option to buy the L.A. Galaxy when his five-year Los Angeles Galaxy contract expires after the 2011 season, according to a CBS "60 Minutes" profile scheduled to air Sunday.
The program was to report the option was granted to the 32-year-old midfielder and his manager, Simon Fuller.
"We don't comment on rumor or speculation," Simon Oliveira, Beckham's spokesman, said Thursday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "David's focus at present is on playing for the Galaxy and his country."
Beckham, who joined the Galaxy last season, could make his 100th international appearance for England in next week's friendly at France. The Galaxy opens the MLS season March 29 at Colorado.
Neither the league nor the Galaxy would comment.
"Our policy is we don't comment on potential owners of Major League Soccer teams," MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche said. "Ultimately, if individuals or groups are interested in purchasing a Major League Soccer team, it's their option whether or not they want to express it publicly. We're a private company, and those matters remain private."
Beckham signed a five-year contract that pays him $5.5 million annually, plus a share of revenues from ticket, merchandise and concessions sales. Limited by injuries, Beckham played eight MLS and tournament games in his first season with the Galaxy, getting one goal and three assists while making four starts. |
