DAVID BECKHAM’S Inter Miami are being investigated by MLS for ‘violating the salary budget’ by signing Blaise Matuidi.
The Frenchman joined the new Florida-based franchise on a free transfer from Juventus last August.
Blaise Matuidi’s free transfer from Juventus to Inter Miami is being investigated by MLSCredit: AP:Associated Press
But Major League Soccer confirmed they are looking into the deal to determine whether Becks’ club broke the league’s regulations.
A statement released on Friday read: “Major League Soccer has begun a formal review of Inter Miami CF’s signing of midfielder Blaise Matuidi, specifically investigating whether the signing of the player complied with Major League Soccer’s salary budget and roster guidelines.
“MLS will not make further comment until the completion of its investigation.”
The club said they intended to engage with the league’s review process.
Inter Miami joined the Eastern Conference for the first time last year.
There are strict, specific limitations in place for salary caps and squads – as detailed in the roster rules released in March 2020.
The overall salary budget for the first 20 players in the squad was £3.55million – although that could instead be split across 18 players if the club preferred.
Each MLS team is allowed two high-priced ‘designated’ players who exceed the £443,434 maximum budget charge (£221,717 if signed in the summer transfer window) – plus a third if there was a £108,600 payment to the league split among other teams.
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Each team could use £1.1m in general allocation money to buy down a player’s salary budget charge, and £2m in targeted allocation money to sign new players whose salary and signing costs were above the maximum salary charge, or to convert a designated player to a non-designated player.
Inter Miami confirmed ex-Chelsea striker Gonzalo Higuain and Mexican Rodolfo Pizarra are designated players while Argentine midfielder Matias Pellegrini joined as a younger designated player.
Matuidi, however, was not announced as a designated player – but instead the Herons said they used targeted allocation money to fund his move Stateside.
The 33-year-old won three league titles at Juve and four with Paris Saint-Germain – he was also a member of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018.
Miami finished tenth out of 14 teams in their debut Eastern Conference campaign in 2020 then lost to Nashville 3-0 in the first round of the play-offs.
Beckham, who is president and a co-owner, brought in former Manchester United team-mate and England Women’s head coach Phil Neville as the new manager during the off-season.
David Beckham is the president and co-owner of the new Florida-based franchiseCredit: AP:Associated Press
Inter Miami owner David Beckham takes part in coach Phil Neville’s first training session
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
