The Don Has Spoken

This week what has to be considered as just plain old odd will take place in the world of football (soccer). Don Garber, commissioner of the MLS, the American soccer league that is a financial minnow in terms of soccer financial backing, will be giving advice to European League about how to keep their clubs and league in financially security. -----I will hold while we all ponder this----. The guy in charge of the the league with a salary cap roughly above a flimsy $2.6 Million a club, compared to the European Leagues who can spend all the money in Fort Know to put a team on the field.

Okay, at first glance the obvious thought has to be should not this process be the other way around. I mean, lets do math, Manchester United averages 76,000, DC United averages 19,000. Real Madrid boast Christiano Ronaldo, Raul, Kaka, and Xabi Alonso. Houston Dynamo boast Brad Davis, Ricardo Clark, and Brian Mullen. It is not a secret that European Football trumps American soccer in most categories.

However if there is one thing the MLS knows how to do, it save money. Only the MLS could survive while clubs like New York, and Dallas average about 8,000 for a game. The MLS, whether it is a blessing or a curse, is a league that is built to survive harsh economic times, something Europe's Top teams can't. Case in point, how is Newcastle United, a Premiership Club since the conception of the EPL in financial ruin. Why is Portsmouth threatening to close. Why is Manchester United, the most famous club in the world, in debt? Yet at the same time, the Houston Dynamo are turning a profit.

Thanks to the MLS salary cap the American clubs are not allowed to by every talented player under the sun, and you better believe most MLS owners could do it easily. Instead the salary cap avoids a 'Manchester City' from forming on this side of the pond. This summer Manchester City spent $200 Million in this summer alone, and that number was not enough to be the top spender of the summer, as Real Madrid put out $355 Million to put together their Super Team. Okay people this is getting out of hand. It may turn out that the lowly MLS needs to shake some sence into these bigger European clubs before they self-destruct. For those who say I am exaggerating see Leeds United, a club in the UEFA Champions League in 2001, now in Football League One, England's Third tier...ouch.

While an MLS style salary-cap may be a bit excessive, European clubs need to come to a consensual agreement of how much is too much. Perhaps a limit on how much one players transfer can be, or a limit on the individual salaries of players. Either top European Clubs figure out a way to be more sustainable in this economic climate, or some the giants of Europe will find themselves to be dwarfs. The world is in a recession UEFA, get with the program and cutback all ready.