Beckham's own MLS team fortunes hit roadblock over lack of local support

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ANI London
Last Updated : Oct 27 2014 | 1:01 PM IST

Miami League Soccer (MLS) boss has admitted that former England football captain and star David Beckham's dreams of kick starting his own American football team have hit a roadblock and could end in tears due to lack local support.

MLS commissioner Don Garber has broken ranks for the first time to confirm that there are deep issues with Beckham's 200 million dollars football team. He feels that lack of support from Miami's politicians might spell the end of Beckham's vision of a new franchise in the Florida town.

The former England, Manchester United and Real Madrid star is now struggling with his 200 million dollars project, after Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez publicly backed it only months ago.

Beckham is yet to identify an ideal site for his new stadium, which would also act as a hotel and entertainment complex in Miami, and could look elsewhere in the states.

Garber said that he is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. He added that it is really a very simple position they are in, as if they can't get the right stadium, they can't go to Miami.

Garber said that they have been challenged to find a site that they believe would be successful, adding that they had two sites on the waterfront and both were supported by the city mayor and the county mayor, and then they lost that support.

So, Garber said that it is clear to him that it is a complicated market in a wide variety of ways.

The stalemate comes as the MLS expands to Florida next year when Orlando City join the league, followed by Atlanta in 2017. Unlike the English icon's bid however both projects have backing from locals for new stadium plans.

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First Published: Oct 27 2014 | 12:45 PM IST

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