Soccer Notes: Revolution Get Bigger Share Of Transfer Money

Revolution Receive $2.64M From Dempsey’s $4M Transfer Fee

MF Clint Dempsey’s MLS-record $4M transfer from the Revolution to English Premier League club Fulham FC was the “first significant move of a player since the league’s [BOG] voted to increase teams’ shares in transfer fees.” Previously, MLS teams received “very little of the transfer fee and had no direct control in reinvesting that money.” The Revolution’s share of the Dempsey transfer is $2.64M, but the team “can use only $500,000 of it for an ‘allocated player.’” MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis said the other $2.14M must be “reinvested in the MLS product in some way. It could be training facilities, player development, it could be infrastructure” (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/27).

LAWSUIT: Former American Univ. soccer player Freddy Llerena, who broke his leg during a scrimmage against MLS United in ’03, is suing the team, its former investors, MLS and former United F Hristo Stoitchkov, whose tackle left Llerena with a compound fracture of his right leg and “other injuries.” Llerena is seeking $5M in compensatory damages from all parties and $5M in punitive damages from Stoitchkov (WASHINGTON POST, 2/27).

REVVED UP: The MISL Detroit Ignition, a “surprisingly competitive expansion team,” have sold out seven of their 11 home games and are averaging 3,471 fans per home game. The team has a multi-year lease with the Compuware Ice Arena and a TV contract with Comcast. Ignition President Greg Bibb: “We had 14 months of lead time before we even played a game and I think that was instrumental in our success. We were able to get everything right” (DETROIT NEWS, 2/27).