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Major League Soccer has always faced an uphill battle against its European counterpart for different reasons. Fans crave the quality that European soccer provides that a relatively young MLS cannot compete with. Interest in other sports often hurts viewership for MLS, while early kickoff times in Europe seldom conflict with other major events. Finally, the expansion of American talent into Europe makes viewership in the United States rise.
Demand for European soccer continues to rise, and that is why so many business-oriented people look to European soccer as opposed to American soccer as a means of entry. For example, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham for $2.5 million. Bournemouth owner Bill Foley said buying a team active in the Premier League was a bargain compared to Major League Soccer. This compounding effect has simultaneously helped European soccer and hurt MLS.
RedBird Capital is one of the groups that has invested in European soccer over Major League Soccer. The American investment firm purchased Italian side AC Milan in the summer of 2022. Gerry Cardinale, RedBird Capital founder and CIO, spoke on CNBC’s Squawk Box show ahead of Milan’s summer friendlies in the United States. He says MLS has failed to keep pace with European soccer, and it is largely on its own accord.
“The guys at Major League Soccer have done a phenomenal job, but they have been held back by the fact that the players in the U.S. ecosystem aren’t in the world’s ecosystem,” says Cardinale. “Until you’ve got that co-mingling of players in their prime, not on the verge of retirement, coming to America and being a part of that system, it’s going to be very difficult.”
MLS holding itself back compared to European soccer
The battle against accusations of being a retirement league is an especially difficult challenge. The acquisition of players like Lionel Messi, Olivier Giroud, Luis Suarez or previously Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been great…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/americas-appetite-for-european-soccer-leaves-mls-in-the-dust/
Author : Kyle Fansler
Publish date : 2024-07-25 19:30:06
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