After all the delays, obstacles, and promise, David Beckham may not wind up overseeing a minute of Inter Miami CF.
Yes, really.
A report from Cristian Rivas of AS says the Manchester United legend is selling his shares of his expansion club, which is set to begin play in 2020 (from US.AS.com).
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Inter Miami CF has denied the report to several outlets, including intrepid MLS reporter Paul Tenorio.
Beckham’s MLS contract allowed him the option of starting a club at the end of his playing career, and he opted for South Beach.
But the English midfielder watched as stadium sites, lawsuits, and myriad issues got in the way of his project, which led to questions of “Will this ever happen?” and multiple public announcements.
It wasn’t all negative, as speculators salivated over the megastars expected to play for “Beckham United.”
According to the report, current IMCF partners Jorge and Jose Mas Santos will purchase Beckham’s shares. Nutty. If true, this report would be a face palm for the executives of Major League Soccer, who backed Becks at every turn (though maybe they knew, too).
And if it happens, maybe this was always Beckham’s plan. It would’ve been foolish for the entrepreneur to turn down the rights to his own team, and staying behind the brand this long certainly aided in the group’s growth.
But how will players and fans react in a market which has certainly had its problems growing, and has been rivaled by a number of upstart teams?
Perhaps it’s all foolhardly speculation, and a reporter was given bad information. Let’s hope so, for the good of Miami having a successful team.
