MLS Exec Hops the Pond
It’s always a hopeful sign when a U.S. player leaves Major League Soccer to ply his trade for a club in a major European league. It shows our players are getting better and the league is producing players that can compete at the highest level.
But what to make of a top MLS executive leaving for Europe? That’s the scenario that presented itself today, as MLS Deputy Commisssioner Ivan Gazidis leaves to become chief executive of Arsenal.
Gazidis will be a big loss for MLS. He was truly the “footballing mind” of the league — which is why the Arse hired him — who paid attention to the product on the field, while the more flamboyant and attention-seeking Don Garber worked the money side of the league — the television contracts, the stadium deals, and securing new investors.
Together, Garber and Gadzidis were a great team and have helped MLS make huge strides in its 12 years of existence. Gadzidis’s contribution to the equation can not be over-stated. Because MLS owns all player contracts and the league — not the individual teams — has final say over which players are signed and how they are signed, he has had tremendous sway over the quality of play on the field.
Gadzidis was also instrumental in forming Soccer United Marketing, the league’s lucrative marketing spin-off which owns the World Cup broadcasting rights in the United States, has negotiated MLS TV rights deals and brings Mexican clubs and South American national teams onto US soil for friendlies.
If MLS is to continue on its upward trajectory, Don Garber will need to find a player personnel man who can replace Gadzidis quickly. This is especially important now as MLS’s designated player rule has tempted several teams into making unwise and costly investments in foreign players that are past their prime or otherwise ill-equipped to withstand the physical play (and August temperatures) of the league. MLS desperately needs a strong, knowledgeable hand to guide player acquisistions and transfers — especially as the league continues to excellerate its participation in the world transfer market.
Garber has proven to be a great salesman, but if the league is giong to contine to succeed he needs someone to build a solid and durable product.
Technorati Tags: mls, major league soccer, ivan gadzidis, don garber, arsenal, designated player rule, soccer united marketing, arsenal, europe, european soccer, transfer, transfer market, signings,
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