Take a look at the last paragraph in this article re: Real Madrid and RSL's partnership. It focuses on a 200-player youth academy to be opened in Salt Lake City. Interesting. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=377889&cc=5901
There's more here: http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_4273347 "Checketts also announced that Real Madrid will help build an elite soccer academy in Salt Lake City that will train up to 200 soccer players ages 12-18. The academy also will include an academic school and, eventually, dorms. RSL will retain the rights to sign the players. Madrid will help with coaching and will recruit players to train there. The famed team also will cover half the estimated $25 million cost." So there's the first independent (of Garber's comments) confirmation that youth academies are a go in MLS. Especially interesting are the dormitories, hinting that maybe Salt Lake intends to fight it's geographical disadvantages through a more regional or even possibly national approach. Also interesting are the February trips to go train in Spain with Real Madrid, as it would be an additional carrot to dangle at potential youth players. In many ways so far Real Salt Lake has been run as a pure class organization with excellent support from its fans both in attendance and atmosphere. Now they just have to figure out how to turn the senior team around. If this sort of approach starts to reap benefits for Salt Lake, you may very well see clubs who are currently planning to half-ass it, like the Crew and possibly the Fire, reconsider doing so.
A leg up in the US market. While you could easily quibble with their choice of partner, the day may soon come when all the MLS teams are "taken" by major Euro clubs. There are many big time euro clubs and only a few MLS sides. Real gets in early and can try to help develop the US market and talent pool in a way that they think will benefit them. Clearly, there's no alturism here.
On the other thread there was speculation that they may set up something like Chelsea is setting up with the Galaxy: a right of first refusal on transfers out of the club. IE, you can't seel somebody to Barcelona for $2 million without offering the same deal to Real Madrid first.
Well it sounds like that when it comes to youth academy setups, MLS is going to let the teams hash out what it is they want to do, and get out of the way. Under such a setup, it would only make sense to give the teams ultimate control over their academy players. We simply won't know until MLS comes out with more info on this. Garber's several weeks late on his promised announcement. As it is, I suspect as the number of individual owners increases, MLS teams will be given more and more autonomy. A good thing in my opinion. I suspect youth academies will be the first step along that path.
Yep And this is how Euro big clubs will steal and take control of all of your next young talents, what a stupid move...
They won't be able to "steal" our best players cause we will still have to sell them to the teams in the first place. All it does is give them first shot. Not a bad deal for all parties involved.
Of course they can this is what they do in Europe all the time. Since Real MAdrid has a right of "first refusal on transfers" and co-finances the youth academy, it will be easy. Everytime a new young talent will be produced. Real Madrid will get him for peanuts. Then if he succeeds in Europe, they will sell him for way much more. MLS will never see the money. Arsenal has done EXACTLY the same thing with Nicolas Anelka in 1999. Do you remember ??? Don't forget that Euro teams are in dominant position they will use their position to pressure and influence those kids to play in Europe. They are only concerned about their own interest. The NBA does that very well. They are stealing all the best european basketball players for nothing. MLS should not let the Euro clubs taking control of what represents the future and the wealth of MLS. People don't seem to see the danger. Brazilians who have a long relationship with Euro clubs would never make such a bad partnership. Since they moslty live by selling their talents.
MLS can just say "no thanks." There's a good possibility that this might enrage Real Madrid to the point where they pull the plug on the academy, but if a player is developed that's so good Real Madrid would want him that badly, Real Madrid's support ultimately wouldn't be necessary to maintain the academy. I'm guessing the response from MLS would be to tell Madrid to take its preseason road-show/cash-cow somewhere else. Once you leave the football field, MLS is on equal footing with every big club in the world. Pushing around Phil Anschutz, the Krafts and the Hunts is an activity very few folks have had any success at. They've probably made this abundantly clear to the other clubs involved. That's exactly why MLS is not at as much risk: they don't have to sell anybody if they don't want to. If you're in a position where you're forced to engage in player sales to keep from going into and staying in debt, then such an arrangement could cost you a ton of money. But MLS is not, nor will be anytime in the near future, such a league. They don't need Real Madrid or anybody else's money. They'll take it though, for precisely as long as it's in their interests to do so, and not a second longer.
Ok, so you believe that Real Madrid will spend millions of dollars to help building a soccer academy in Salt Lake City for up to 200 players, helping to produce better players, training Salt Lake players each February at Madrid's facilities for nothing ???? Or for charity ???? Are you naive or what ??? I tell you what, they want to make sure that they have a hand on your best talents PERIOD When Real salt lake academy will start to produce young talents Real Madrid will get them and MLS will shut the hell up. Since they financed this youth system, help Real Salt Lake to train them properly and signed a first refusal on transfers deal. Hey we are talking about Real madrid, a club as rich and powerful as the Washigton Redskins. Those people are not stupid. This partnership looks more like an owenrship, nobody would do such a stupid thing it's like pact withthe devil . RealMAdrid is not there to help you, they are only there for their own interest . Are you kidding me ??? Are you joking right ??? Do you know how the NBA steals the best european players FOR FREE ??? NBA use their dominant position to abuse basketball leagues around the world. And this is what those big Euros will do, they are in dominant position and they know it. They will abuse it. That's why MLS shouldn't never let any Euro clubs control the MLS youth academy system. I don't know if Anschutz Kraft and company are richer than most of the richest EURO team owners. I bet you that if Real Madrid didn't have secured a "priority deal" on young talents they would have NEVER spent a single dollar into Real Salt Lake academiy. That's not charity. No you don't understand, brazilians sell their best talents because their best talents want to play in Europe. And MLS can't do nothing against that. That's the problem... This is where you seem to miss the problem. MLS is not in dominant position to keep their talents. This is how NBA steals all the europeans players for free. MLS is not in position to keep their best talents. And Real Madrid knows that. Since Real Madrid is in dominant, influential position and will finance, control and own your academies, you'll see the very face of this partnership. I just don't understand why get the idea to involve big Euro clubs This is worst idea ever.
Was there any actual evidence for this? The only thing I've heard was posters on BS speculating that this was the case.
Well for the Chelsea/Galaxy one there was a little: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4858338.stm
If RM's goal was to snap up top prospects, I doubt they'd be investing in a soccer talent wasteland like Utah.
Interesting. I still don't know if I believe it. The actual quotes weren't very specific. But we sure could use a player on loan right now.
i agree with u... if someone us super talented, I can guarantee u they will sign them up for pennies, and MLS would shut up about it...
To me it seems like it would be ridiculous to think that Real Madrid will have some sort of stranglehold on the Real Salt Lake after pledging only 12.5 million dollars. I know that's a decent amount by MLS standards right now, but in the near future it shouldn't be.
For $12.5 million, you can not only purchase a stranglehold on the Kansas City Wizards, you can buy a Maserati, a Maybach, and an Aston Martin, a big house with a 3-car garage to protect your new cars, a swimming pool to please your kids, a nanny to please your wife, an apartment for your mistress, and plenty of roses, champagne, and diamonds to keep her smiling.
^ | | 12.5 million would buy all those things, but from the MLS it would only buy you 2 or 3 Freddy Adus or Eddie Johnsons(pre-flameout).