MLS and Bundesliga join forces

Major League Soccer (MLS) and Germany's Bundesliga is joining forces to promote the sport in the U.S. The groups will exchange information on stadium construction and player development, and in the future, there may also be exhibition games or tournaments in the U.S.

No players or funding will be exchanged in the deal that was announced during the SportelAmerica convention in Miami Beach.

"The idea is to share the know-how of both leagues and ... support the growth of soccer in the United States, because the more interested people are in soccer in the U.S., the more they are interested also in international leagues like the Bundesliga," said Christian Seifert, Bundesliga chief executive.

The exchange is effective immediately and will last indefinitely, with league officials meeting twice a year.

The German league will get American expertise on salary caps and club ownership strategy, while Bundesliga will give advice on safety and lighting in stadium construction, according to Seifert.

"We'll work on what the specifics of the relationship will be in the years to come," MLS commissioner Don Garber said. "This is part of our outreach to get closer to the world globally. I think you'll see more programs like this starting in the years to come."

Other areas will include officiating, news media, marketing and competition rules.

Bundesliga, which has created its own TV production company, will teach the MLS how to produce football matches with proper camera angles and other details.

The Germans will also show their American counterparts how to spot talented players at a young age and nurture them.

Seifert said David Beckham's decision to join MLS later this year was a good step.

"One player will not change the world," Seifert said. "It's a step in the right direction. Beckham is not a guy at the end of his career. Most of all, he's a great soccer player. He will increase the value of the team."

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.