Barcelona might be the next Chivas

here is the translation on bablefish... its bad but you can get the jist of it.

ALTHOUGH THE POSSIBILITY IS STILL REMOTE, ACCORDING TO VICE-PRESIDENT SORIANO
The Bar?podría to found a club tax exemption on the United States
The FC Barcelona contemplates diverse alternatives of future to expand, among them the one to found a club tax exemption with their same name on the United States or another country that an attractive commercial market offers, according to today advanced the economic vice-president of the club, Ferran Soriano, during a conference offered in days organized by the School of Economists of Catalunya.

During its exhibition on ' the mark, intangible assets key for the internationalization of empresá, Soriano mentioned the example of the Kids Mexican, that has its club tax exemption in Los Angeles, denominated Kids the USA, and who are an equipment "with more than 20 million fans in their country and that also fills stages of 80,000 people" in Los Angeles, where exists a numerous Mexican colony.

The possibility is still "distant" and a study has not become "concrete", according to Soriano, but Barcelona "contemplates" this one and other options of expansion, like the one to reach agreements to incorporate the name of the Bar?al of clubs of countries like the United States, Japan or China that would pass to be clubs "associate". Another option would be the one to open schools of soccer in South America, the United States and Asia.

Possible source of income
"Bar?sólo is one, but already it has many equipment in different categories and disciplines and the challenge would be to continue growing", also explained the Barcelonist vice-president to the conclusion of the conference. In addition, it indicated that the diverse possibilities exposed on possible projects could "be autofinanciar" initially and could get to become a source of income.

Soriano emphasized in addition that the soccer clubs are at the moment "global repair companies" and that, for Barcelona, "the growth is a challenge, not only in Catalunya and the rest of Spain, but anywhere in the world", since the commercial market of soccer has stopped being local and is now "absolutely globalizado".

 

Come on in, the water's fine.
The more the merrier.
Just remember to bring some cash.

 

more likely if they do anything it will be to open an academy like Ajax did. Frankly, as big of a club as Barça is, I just don't see 25,000 displaced catalan fans filling the stands like they would for Chivas, even if they sent us Luis Enrique.

Who knows if Mexican-Americans will even go to Chivas games?

 

So we'll have Barca Philly? great.

 

I'm frankly tired of these stories. It seems every month we get another story about another European/Mexican/South American club thinking about joining MLS. Can't we develop our own soccer identity? Does anybody really give a damn about Barcelona joining MLS? Why would they do it in the first place? It's all useless talk.

 

i think its fine to have foreign investors in MLS, i actualy welcome it,

LOOK Chelsea is owned by a russian, and so are other teams owned by outsiders

it is all i want to see from foreigners investing into MLS, their money and managerial skill

 

Well, my opinion is pretty biased because I am a big Barca fan, but I think this would be a great deal for the league, atleast in the short run. If nothing else an investment by a major european club like Barca, Man U, Bayern, Real Madrid, etc. would certainly help move MLS onto a broader stage worldwide. From a historical point of view Barca has always been an international club, its best players coming from latin america, holland, or before that hungary and other eastern european countries. Expanding to the north american market may make sense.

While you can certainly make an argument that MLS should be american and not international, the financial benefit of this type of agreement for the league could be significant. Marketing, at home and abroad, would likely increase. Arrangements could be put in place resulting in european tours of these teams potentially resulting in a more diverse fan base and revenue for the club and league. Finally, exposure of young american players to high level competition and elite coaches and development practices would be a great advantage to american soccer.

I know these rumors pop up a lot, but I think its good for the league that international instutions like Barca are considering making an investment in its development.

 

It's about name-brand recognition amongst US soccer fans. There's not enough Spanish ex-pats anywhere in the US to make a go of such an endeavor.

It's important to note that they're considering Asia as well. In fact, i would think that there's more of a profitability upside in Japan than in the US.

 

I don't think it will happen, nor do I think it would be a good idea.

Barca should just partner with the Fire and be done with it.

 

Don't you think Barcelonas prestige would decrease joining the MLS. Chivas not to great of a club, unless in the mexican league. I dont support North American soccer and Mexican. Did a lot of americans become Man. U fans when Howard Join b/c he's not to good. Just big and its becomin evident. Plus he has a sick defense nobody is going to constantly get past that defense.

 

Actually thats one of the few good posts here - Bigger Argentinian and Brazilian and European clubs partnering with MLS - not just the FIRE - Maybe as a whole or maybe specific agreements with individual clubs -

MONEY, more publicity here and in Europe, MONEY, more marketing of MLS gear, MONEY, young talent show-cased here, MONEY, Americans get training overseas, MONEY, better-run youth academies, MONEY,

hmmm - have I mentioned MONEY?

 

MFL is the 5th best league in the world top to bottom. It has the 5th highest attendance, as well. world attendance

It's not a bad league. They get the top talent from SoAm, save Argentina and Brazil. So, yes, Chivas is a prestigious team.

Yes.

 

5th best. Better than Arentina and Brazil? I'm not even sure it's better than Holland and Portugal. You say "top to bottom", but those countries are pretty deep in domestic talent.

What's your definitiion of "best" - quality of play, salaries, attendance, or what?

 

attendance means nothing, by the way MLS attendance is down this year. The quality of goals can't be compared to Italys, Argentinas, Brazils, Englands, Scotlands, Spains, Portugals, Germanys and Hollands goals. MLS soccer is boring, slow and dirty. There are at least 20 fouls a game or more. They have decent players who look good because they play horrible teams or players.

 

And Brazilian games have 60 fouls in a game. Myself and a jillion other people on the board disagree with you on much of what you say. There are a jillion people who do agree with you, too. Having been to matches in Spain and England, and watched matches from Germany, Columbia, Mexico and other countries, I would disagree that our goals are any less remarkable. Italy--now that's boring soccer. But whatever. You sound entrenched in your world view, so enjoy it, and I hope you have cable.

I'm fairly new to the MFL, so I've never been aware of the heyday Chivas had, i.e. when they could actually win. Even recently when they went to the Championship match to lose to America I had no faith in them because their recent history is so atrocious. Hopefully Chivas USA will continue that tradition.

As for Barca or any other team that wants to invest here, I'm still a bit wary. I know that they want to sell their shirts here, and make tons of money. I don't have too much problem with that. I think it would be great to have clubs from all over the world sending coaches and players here (with the same MLS limit of 3 SI's enforced), to a point. I think this because I think it would only make the MLS a bit stronger. US players would learn a variety of styles. MLS would reflect the US in being a melting pot. These coaches and our players would learn to take the best from all the styles of the world. But at the same time, I don't want Barca/ManU/Hearts of Oak/Chivas/etc. knockoffs dominating the market. I would much rather see agreements like the Fire have with Morelia. I would like to see the Fire-Morelia agreement be rather more productive than it has been, but I'm willing for something like this to take its course in time. RSL and Real Madrid may form some sort of formalized agreement, so that players like John Woodgate can be on loan to RSL while he is in recouperation. RSL can sell Madrid shirts, Madrid can sell RSL shirts, American stars can go on loan or permanently to Madrid, everybody wins. Metrostars have an agreement with Boca Juniors (right?). Galaxy have an agreement with some team in either Brazil or Argentina. These are relationships that could be developed without the whole "farm team" image.

One last point-- one of the reason that some players, e.g. Christian Gomez, like MLS: we pay our players on time.

 

Any European investment in the MLS would help to increase its credibility and long-term viability. The MLS will be on par with the European leagues one day, and this would be a logical first step. I think Barca would appeal not only to Spanish ex-pats, but the Catholic communities in the U.S. as well. The MLS will not become an internationally accepted league on its own. Why not welcome foreign investment and interest in MLS to help it along on this path?

 

Brazilian games have so many fouls because the game is so high paced. Thats why usually they have so many fouls, when the game is being played at high speeds then some people are to slow to keep up with it and these people end up fouling. In the MLS they foul for no reason, the game is so slow and they foul because they can't defend. When you have quality defenders, the quality of the goals are better. MLS needs some defenders and goalies with brains. Barcelona wants to sell jerseys, but i doubt MLS will ever be considered for a european sub-division of some league. Players will be loaned, but they will see limited action. Do you think when Real Madrid having the finest players money can buy, they will loan a player from RSL and put him in as a starter or sub. The fact is the teams from the world that are investing in teams here, are looking for one player like a John Spector who might be talented. Just because they have investments doesn't mean that we will soon see a surge of american players playing for boca juniors, real madrid and etc... Tim Howard(9 shutouts a fluke) will be gone in january. When a goalie has the neville brothers, rio ferdinand and keane as a defense he should be allowing less then a goal a game. Tim Howard is a bad goalie when you need him the most. Champions league and i don't think he started against Arsenal.

 

In case you missed it... Mexico is 8th on that retarded attendance list. And I guess according to your logics, U.S. Major League Soccer and Arena Football is better than the Brazilian Premier League and the Portuguese Super Liga. I never thought it was be so easy in determining "best leagues" by just looking at attendance figures from a home-made geocities website. Thanks for making our lives easier.

 

Wrong, that website is wrong.
http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/stats/index.jsp?club=mls
No team in MLS is really horrible like there are horrible teams in all the leagues you mention. If you were bored by the eastern confrence final then I don't see how you can be a fan of soccer. MLS has a salary cap of 1.8 million dollars, the value they get for that salary cap is amazing. I've seen some painful brazilian league games where ther's a dive every five minutes and the ref calls a foul if the defender breathes on the player. MLS won't get better as long as soccer fans won't spend their money on it, didn't a preseason Dallas Burn team beat a mid season Dynamo Kiev team in Spain? are the goals Norwich scores so much better than the goals the Fire score, or are the goals Thierry Henry score better?

 

They tied, Mid-season is grueling for Dynamo playing in Ukraine and Champions League. When Dallas, has been training for months and haven't played a game yet. I'm a fan of soccer, but not american soccer. I think its highly overated and american fans are to into themselves to understand that their teams having the highest quality of physical training around. Which still doesn't make up for the lack of talent in the MLS. Whereas Dynamo Kiev doesn't, but has talent. Norwich would lead the league in pts. if it were apart of the MLS. No league goes longer than the EPL, meaning more injuries which slows teams down. Norwich isn't good, but like many teams they don't have funding and in England the best youth players go to the top teams offering the most money. In the MLS they have a draft which helps solve that problem because the player makes an impact and makes him stay. The lower teams in the EPL of funding problems which hurt them in the EPL. Brazilians do tend to fake fouls and play dirty. When you think where the game truely became soccer its South America(BRAZIL). They play that way, high paced, fun soccer and creative. MLS is the cheap imitation of the EPL. I don't see highlight reels of MLS soccer moves. Brazilians show passion in there games, i don't see that in the MLS. All i see is Americans who are trying to dominate another sport besides basketball. I have no problems with american soccer, i play for SockersFC one of the top youth clubs in the nation. I just don't like the MLS.

 

Will a Barça-owned team insist upon conducting its business in Catalán? What we really need is a Basque team to mess with people.

 

Here's my plan/dream:

Someone gives me Bill Gates's salary for a year.

Then I buy the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Portland Timbers. I elevate the Timbers to the MLS and build them an environmentally friendly stadium. I sign an agreement with Real Sociedad, the team in San Sebastian, Spain. They, like Portland, are not the largest market in their country, and there are a lot of Basques in Nevada, Idaho, Utah and likely in eastern Oregon. Sure it overlaps with RSL's area, but BFD. The PR team can act as a conduit for Latin American players who want to make it big in MLS, and maybe on to Spain.

 

But, if in the meantime the independence movement in PR grows beyond 1%-2% of the population and Borinquen goes indie, your plan is shot because the Islanders will get the ol' heave.