There are not enough partners who can contribute 300 million dollars for its construction.
In 2014, David Beckham announced with great fanfare the construction of a stadium in the city of Miami, in order to have a team from the city of Florida in the Major Soccer League (MLS). Today, almost three years later, this dream seems to be more like a nightmare. This is because the famous former English player hasn’t been able to get partners who can contribute the 300 million dollars that the stadium would cost. Those who seemed to be possibly interested were: Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea, a Chinese investors fund or the solid company, Qatar Sports Investment, owner of Paris Saint-Germain. But the problem is not only in the delay, people are also upset due to the lack of decision making, one of them is Don Garber, the MLS director, who recently suggested that Beckham should abandon the project. “I’ve learned that you can’t do everything you want. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back”, said Garber.
A brand that hasn’t taken off
The Miami Beckham United, name given to the company created for this project and possibly the team, if the project takes place, has bought two thirds of almost four acres of land that the stadium would cover, with a capacity of 25,000 attendees. Beckham has run into the harsh reality of the land prices in Miami, one of the most expensive places in the United States. At the beginning the idea was to build the stadium right on the bay, close to the port, but the authorities neglected that idea claiming that it was going to create too much traffic. Later Beckham started to buy land in Overtown, a traditional Afro-American neighborhood in Miami, still marginal and affected by the abundant consumption of heroine, according to the El País a newspaper from Madrid.
The accounts do not balance
Beckham’s company has invested about 45 million dollars in the land and the club’s license for the MLS, less than one fourth of the possible total cost, including the players’ wages. The most viable solution to the current situation is probably the Qatari fund that besides money could also provide a valuable brand association between Beckham and the Paris Saint-Germain. The MLS directors are attracted by the best brands of European soccer, as was with David Villa and Pirlo’s New York City FC, a company created between Manchester City and the New York Yankees, the famous baseball team.
The MLS’s pressure on Beckham is due to the potential loss of revenues implied in having a franchise frozen. The MLS wants to connect with the vibrant Latin culture of Miami, but David Beckham is not getting the money, and the chiefs’ patience is reaching its limit.
A very personal team
“I want to create a very personal team”, says Beckham. Some of the stars he could attract are Ibrahimovic, whom he met in the PSG, Gerard Piqué, his fellow countryman Wayne Rooney and Antoine Griezmann, who has said that he would like to finish his career in Miami with Beckham.