David Beckham smiled for the cameras, said all the right things and exited stage left amid a flashbulb frenzy.
Ever since the England and Manchester United legend arrived in the United States in 2003, it’s been mooted how he’d return after retirement to own a franchise and begin the next part of a footballing journey which has earned him eyewatering fame and fortune.
So naturally, when the Beckham circus rolled into Miami last month to announce he would indeed be exercising the right to become an MLS owner, dream scenarios were flying around.
Would the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who would be in the twilight of their stellar careers by the time a ball is first kicked in anger in 2017, jump on-board? What will Lionel Messi be doing? Has Cristiano Ronaldo received a text yet?
Basketball superstar LeBron James, Miami’s new darling after leading the Heat to consecutive championship titles, is also being teed up.
Wonderful visions.
That all seems a long way off right now though.
With the project in its early stages there are countless hurdles to leap over, a tremendous amount of work just to get it off the ground.
When Beckham signed for the LA Galaxy, being the savvy, business minded superstar he is, the 38 year-old ensured a clause was included to enable him to buy a franchise when he retires for a cut-price $25 million (Dh91.8m).
Bear in mind that Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, bought the new Manchester City team in New York for an estimated $100m (Dh376.3m) and you’ll get an idea of the deal struck by the former England captain.
Owning a team was always on the cards. His announcement merely confirmed the opportunity to try and create what would be the 22nd MLS team.
An investment group is set to be confirmed – with pop mogul Simon Fuller remaining Beckham’s business partner under the guise of their ‘Beckham Ventures’ company with Miami based telecommunications billionaire Marcelo Claure also involved.
Sport360° understands Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), who own Paris Saint-Germain, were approached earlier this month with a view to buying into the American dream.
Primary negotiations however, didn’t go according to plan with the Qataris apprehensive over a proposal to buy the franchise for $100m, especially considering Beckham paid a quarter of that price.
Of course, it is early days.
The Londoner can and will reach out to countless money men who may want a slice of this particular American pie but it was a stark, early indication of just how tough this venture will be.
“This is anything but a home run,” insisted a top US football financial source.
Raising enough money is just one piece of a perplexing puzzle. Finding and funding a place to call home in a city whose inhabitants remain unhappy about the last time a stadium was built raises up myriad local headaches.
Misery of the Marlins
When the Miami Marlins baseball team opened their new $639m (Dh2.3bn) stadium and parking complex two years ago, anger that it was funded by public funds raged and continues to do so. Until 2011 the Marlins were posting an impressive $153m (Dh561m) in aggregate operating income.
Low gates at the Sunlife Stadium – shared with the Miami Dolphins – meant low wages were dished out. Owner Jefferey Loria then decided to change tack and got the good people of Miami to buy him a nice new stadium.
It has been a nightmare.
With Loria refusing to invest in the team – the Marlins offer one of the lowest salaries in the MLB at around $45m (Dh165m) – the fans are being hit hard while because of the stadium’s financing scheme, there will be around $3bn (Dh11bn) in interest expenses on the construction loans to be picked up by the city and their taxpayers.
To make it even worse, a quirk of the bond financing has seen a $91m (Dh334m) loan transform into a $1.2bn (Dh4.4bn) liability.
Loria will make a huge profit when he eventually sells a team who are rank outsiders at 150-1 to win the World Series for the first time since 2003.
Marlins Park, as it should be for the kind of money involved, is state of the art with a retractable roof and a temporary option for the new yet currently unnamed Miami team but a permanent spot has to be in place first.
With the Marlins in awful form – they lost 100 out of 162 matches last season – and attracting crowds of around 18,000 in a 34,000-capacity ground, a project which could see costs eventually hit the $2.2bn (Dh- 8bn) mark is in danger of becoming the white elephant Miami natives feared it would turn in to.
Current Mayor Carlos Giminez was elected on the strength of his opposition to the Marlins’ plans and, now in power, he is sidling up to Beckham.
Questions are being asked of his affiliation while the dollar signs flash brightly in Giminez’s gaze and scepticism is growing.
Naturally, Beckham was quick to point out the whole project will be funded by investors and that nothing can be done in Miami, or anywhere else for that matter, without the help of local government.
But with the Marlins situation still raw, he needs to get it right.
An easily accessible arena, especially for the lower income and football-mad Hispanic communities which include Brazilians, Mexicans, Hondurans, Ecuadorians, Bolivians, Argentinians and Colombians, is a must.
The Sunlife Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins which had over 70,000 for a pre-season match between Chelsea and Real Madrid, is too far outside of the city.
The reason MLS sides like Portland and Seattle boast superb crowds every week is because there is an English feel to the game experience.
People meet up and walk to the game together. In a sprawling centre like Miami, recreating that kind of feeling will be tough, so location is paramount.
The Miami Fusion, which folded in 2001 and were the last team in Miami to enter the League but were based in Fort Lauderdale, around 40 miles away – too far for most.
Becks appeal
Former Arsenal midfielder Danny Karbassiyoon knows the American, and Miami, soccer scenes inside out.
He thinks Beckham’s plans will be superb for a sports-mad city which loves their heroes.
“You have seen in New York how difficult it can be to sell the MLS in big American cities. The Red Bulls have Thierry Henry, the best player ever to play in the US, yet the stadium isn’t always full. Can the fans be bothered to get the train to the stadium?” he explained.
“When the Heat play there is a real buzz about the place. In their case it is all about the product. Everyone in Miami wants to see the best of everything – food, hotels, entertainment, you name it.
“The reason the Heat are becoming so popular is because of the success and the star names they have in the team. That makes sense.”
Karbassiyoon, who is Arsenal’s North American scout and owns interactive fans site www.swol.co, added: “Even before David’s name was even mentioned about having a link with the city, they were all asking ‘what’s going on with Miami? When are they having a team?’
“Footballers love Miami. Guys enjoy going to Los Angeles or Las Vegas but they can slip under the radar here. And if there is anyone in world football who can attract big names it is David Beckham.”
Beckham is said to be totally driven by the whole project and blown away by the potential. Putting the building blocks in place first though remains a daunting priority.
The hard work starts now.
Five potential Beckham signings
Xavi
The Barca playmaker will be 36 when his current deal expires in 2016. Was linked with New York Red Bulls this summer.
Carlos Tevez
The Juventus striker has always moved around and would be a fantastic singing for the MLS and a huge draw for Hispanic fans. Would represent a good final career move for him at the age of 34.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid superstar played with Beckham at Manchester United and will be 32 in 2017. Would fit in well with all the beautiful people in Miami.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Beckham played with the Swede briefly at PSG and would be the kind of star name he’d be after. The Swede will be 35 in 2017 but keeps himself in excellent shape.
Michael Carrick
Not a high profile name but the kind of player who would be a class act in the MLS. The England and Manchester United midfielder will be 35 in 2017.
