Barcelona serious about MLS expansion team

[Zeppo]

Barca serious about MLS involvement

In mid-October, when an FC Barcelona delegation led by club president Joan Laporta disembarked in Miami for a surprise announcement of a Major League Soccer expansion bid, the waves rippled from New York to Barcelona. Since then, more details have been revealed, and Miami's joint bid between FC Barcelona and Bolivian cell phone magnate Marcelo Claure has started to take shape and gain strength.

Because Miami historically has been a fickle market for soccer despite its large Latino population, its diverse soccer groups were surprised and energized by news of the potential team, which would play in a new stadium (capacity 18,000) on the campus of Florida International University. Speculation is that Laporta, who has vacationed in Miami, would live in Florida once his term as Barcelona president expires in 2010. According to Laporta, hiring the front-office personnel would be Barcelona's responsibility. "That is our specialty," he said.

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[Farmah]

I've been following the development of this move from the standpoint of a Barcelona fan and as a Miami resident. I like this move, period. Hopefully my little baller, Sean Fraser, can secure a transfer from Miami FC into the barcelona MLS team.

[Gamma]

i like it......barca might all have training camp in miami.....mi si mi summer vacations plan tekking shape.

[Farmah]

DPL players like Ricketts, Sawyers, McCallum, Hue, Brackenridge, Jermaine Taylor and Ricardo Cousins need to call up their agents from now and have them positioned for possible future tryouts. Now all will get the break but if it's even just one, then that's success.

[Sir X]

MLS desperately needs this.

[Zeppo]

Barcelona Has 90% Chance of Winning MLS Franchise, CEO Says

Barcelona, soccer’s third-richest team by sales, has a 90 percent chance of co-owning a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami, Chief Executive Officer Joan Oliver said.

The 2006 European champion bid for one of two available franchises in October. It’s competing against six groups, including one from Montreal involving Liverpool co-owner George Gillett and another in Portland, Oregon, headed by Merritt Paulson, son of U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

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