Amazingly enough, Footiebusiness is about to start its 4th year of covering the business of
American soccer. It has been a great ride and one that I hope to continue to enjoy and
improve. When I started the site, I had no idea how long it would last, whether there was any
interest in the business aspects of American soccer or whether anyone would read what I wrote.
The new threads. (Home on left, Away on right)
The 2012 Major League Soccer season is right around the corner and clubs are gearing up in all
sorts of ways. Not only are they stocking up on young talent through the SuperDraft and wily
veterans in the Supplemental Draft, MLS teams are locking down sponsorships and marketing as well.
The opening weekend of Serie A has been postponed due to a players strike in Italy. This is
devastating news for fans of Serie A especially with a brand new season ready to kick off.
In addition to La Liga going on strike last week which caused the postponement of their opening
weekend, both Italy and Spain should be embarrassed by the poor organization of these leagues.
On Monday, Budweiser and Major League Soccer announced they had renewed their partnership to
sponsor the league, the Men's and Women's United States National Teams, and the Mexican National
Team within the U.S.
Interestingly enough, both the league and Budweiser passed on the opportunity to talk about how the
Free Beer Movement has been instrumental in growing both of their bottom lines.
This year's model: Chivas USA players Alejandro Moreno, Justin Braun, Sergio Arias, Jimmy
Conrad and Francisco Mendoza unveil the club's new shirt sponsor at the Standard Hotel rooftop bar
downtown (Photo courtesy Chivas USA).
Chivas USA haven't exactly had shirt sponsors in the past that connect with their fan base.
The slowly moving stadium process in San Jose appears to heading in the right direction again.
On March 3, the team will take the first step necessary to clear the property for soccer facility
near the airport. The team has been planning the stadium for a long time and has repeatedly
requested additional municipal assistance.
Tim Schulz of the Colorado Rush is interviewed by Mike Woitalla about the high costs involved with
youth soccer in the United States-
SOCCER AMERICA: Perhaps the most common complaint about the American youth game is its high
cost. Will playing soccer continue to become more expensive or is any relief on the horizon?
This past week, Scottish player Kenny Miller recently joined with defending champions of the
Turkish Super League, Bursaspor. With Miller set to receive about 50,000 quid per week, this has to
rank as one of the priciest transfers in Bursaspor's history. Bursaspor have had to take out
sponsorships in order to afford Miller's salary.
Bill Archer has the best take on the latest example of soccer business planning gone wrong:
It's clear that the place was in serious trouble literally from day one, and was
finally shut down in the Spring of 2009. The staff was fired and the players sent on their way, and
it's been sitting there still smelling of new paint ever since, being used only as an occasional
rental facility for camps and tournaments.
