Alessandro Nesta was the epitome of composure during a stellar playing career.
The legendary Italian was a defensive class act, one of the finest to wear the Azzurri shirt. Yet when asked about his new role as manager of Miami FC, the North American Soccer Leagues’s (NASL) latest attempt to crack the soccer-mad South Florida market, the 39 year-old, for once, appeared slightly flummoxed.
“Is it exciting? Is it challenging? Right now I don’t know,” Nesta told Sport360. “There has been no opportunity to see what has happened before. It’s totally new.”
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That much is true. With astute Italian businessman and TV rights millionaire Riccardo Silva leading a consortium which has seen Paolo Maldini installed as sporting director, Miami FC head excitedly into the unknown with no squad to speak of, yet a hugely impressive front-office infrastructure has already been installed.
AC Milan legend Maldini has property in Florida and owns 10 per cent of the club. He will jet in and out leaving Nesta, who has lived in Miami for the past three years, to get his hands dirty on the training pitch.
Trials took place in early December with over 200 dreamers paying $180 (Dh660) for the chance to impress. Very few made it – only a handful were picked from the original trial, although those numbers have increased following further sessions.
And, now that former Tottenham and Stoke midfielder Wilson Palacios has become Nesta’s first major signing, America’s Italian job has well and truly begun.
As New York City FC found only too well in MLS, starting clubs from scratch is tremendously difficult. Squad building takes time as does establishing strong links with the community in the effort to build the kind of fan structure to entice more players of Palacios’ calibre to follow suit.
Yet, spend time in the company of Nesta and it’s easy to see why a spell in Miami, even if it is effectively in US soccer’s second tier, would appeal. When we meet, the Italian legend is spending time with former drug addicts who are running the New York marathon, thanks to the sterling help of the San Patrignano rehabilitation centre.
Eyes light up as Nesta offers words of encouragement ahead of a truly life-changing experience. Stepping into the managerial hotseat however, is something fantastically new for the Italian who harbors dreams of becoming a fully-fledged coach at one of Europe’s leading lights. Miami, however, is where it will all begin.
“I have tried to pick up aspects of all the coaches I have played under but personally, Carlo Ancelotti was like a father to me. He was the best. He lives in Vancouver now so we have spoken about a few things and we will be in touch,” he added.
“There is huge interest in Miami – so many Colombians, Argentinians – they have such a huge passion. MLS is great but there are a lot of rules regarding ownership so this was a great fit for us.
“I think it will be a very interesting project and I cannot wait to get started. NASL is run differently to MLS but with Riccardo Silva, he is an ambitious guy and Miami is a fantastic place for me to begin this new experience.”
Certainly, none of this would be possible without the business acumen and knowledge of Silva. A multi-millionaire Miami-based Italian who made his money, and continues to do so, by purchasing and selling TV rights in countless sports all over the world.
Silva, whose company boasts annual revenues of $700 million, is the bedrock of this adventure. A stadium sharing deal with Florida International University has been signed for three years. Italian sportswear company Macron are also on board.
Unlike in MLS, NASL doesn’t have a single entity structure which sees everything from player contracts to sponsorship deals all centrally owned. They are aligned far more with the European model – and that suits Silva.
David Beckham will one day join him in the south Florida soccer scene and the England legend will be welcomed with open arms. “I’ve been involved in sports business for 20 years and to be honest, I had never thought about the possibility of owning a football club. There have been offers in the past but I have always looked at it from a European perspective. The American perspective however is something different,” said Silva.
“But with Miami FC, I was interested. The city has been my base for a few years now, the potential of soccer is well known and there is such a healthy sports environment in the US, far better than in Europe.
“If you own a football club in Italy for example, you are a king if you win two games but if you don’t do well, the fans will be waiting for you at home. It’s such an extreme way of looking at things and there isn’t as much potential there. Everything is so big already. It just wasn’t attractive for me.
“Here in the US, it’s different. You can start small but there is the possibility of huge growth. There is a different approach to sport as well. That’s not to say that the fans are less passionate – they are just passionate in a healthier way. So, I looked at the opportunity and grabbed it.
“One reason I went for it was the different way US sport is governed. In Europe, 90 per cent of the clubs lose money. In America, they are profitable. In NBA, NFL etc, the franchises are able to make money.
“To make a league big, you only need three or four good teams. Look at La Liga. We admire and respect MLS but this is a long-term project. In five, ten, fifteen years time something gradual will happen – in a one generation span soccer will be as popular as the other traditional American sports.
“I think there are pros and cons with MLS. It is well-managed and is growing very well. A few aspects however I don’t agree on. I don’t like the centralisation of everything. In soccer, it works differently. You have to think you are part of the soccer world, you can’t always think with a US mind.
“But I like the independency that NASL brings – you own your own brand, your players, there is more freedom in terms of management and selecting the squads. There is a bigger potential.”
Furthermore , there is an ever growing cabal of legends getting involved. With Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo part of the ownership group in Fort Lauderdale and New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony spearheading a brave attempt to build the brand in Puerto Rico, NASL is putting up a superb fight in the battle for American soccer supremacy.
La Liga side Rayo Vallecano have also invested in Oklahoma City (Rayo OKC) to give the competition – which will now see 14 teams attempt to dethrone the New York Cosmos as champions next season – a seriously international feel.
“What is happening are guys like Maldini, Nesta and Ronaldo are bringing experience and expertise you cannot buy. They aren’t learning on the job. They know what it takes to become the best and are working in a structure which allows them to make decisions,” said Commissioner Bill Peterson.
“You would be surprised how much Carmelo Anthony knows about soccer. He certainly knows a lot about business and is a very impressive individual. He thinks things through, is intelligent and understands professional sport.
“It’s not about self promotion for these guys. They are interested in winning and want to build.
“It was a surprise when the guys in Miami approached us but we immediately thought ‘wow, what an opportunity with Riccardo and Paolo involved’. We knew Miami is a great market but you need something very special to tap into it.
“They have it.”
