Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
CBA deal reached, play will resume in Orlando
The 2020 Major League Soccer season is coming back.
The MLS Players Association announced Wednesday morning that the new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified by the players’ union and league’s owners after the players voted to approve the latest return-to-play plan.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber confirmed reports on
Wednesday that the league — which could lose as much as a billion dollars because of the coronavirus outbreak — plans to return to action by having all 26 teams compete in a tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
Garber didn’t add too many details about the tournament because he said they were still being finalized. ESPN previously reported that the league’s proposal would have teams arrive in Orlando
around June 24.
Garber said the tournament would last for a maximum of 35 days. A reported plan for the proposed tournament would have teams train for a couple of weeks in Orlando before playing in a group stage, featuring three matches followed by a 16-team knockout stage with the groupstage games counting towards the regular-season standings.
While being more optimistic than he was when MLS suspended its season March 12 due to the pandemic, Garber said he remains unsure of when teams will be able to play in their stadiums again.
“This process started three months ago and I would’ve told you then that the likelihood of returning into our stadiums was zero,” Garber said. “Today, as more states appear to be opening up, there’s more of a likelihood that might happen. Everything we do will be in accordance with local health authorities and we’re not going to do it unless we can ensure the safety of our players, team administrative staff and operational staff. We accept, for the most part, that those games will be played without fans.”
The ratification of the CBA comes a few days after the league threatened the MLSPA with a lockout over the weekend if it didn’t agree to its terms on the
return-to-play plan.
Inter Miami CF players — along with several players from around Major League Soccer — skipped voluntary training sessions this week amid the ongoing negotiations.
“That’s the first time in the 25-year history in our league that we ever had to get to that point,” Garber said. “It’s not something I did without a lot of thought, concern and understanding as to what impact that’d have to our players and the negotiation. It was something as the leader of this league, I believe, was necessary in order for us to get to the point [Wednesday] where we have reached an agreement.”
According to ESPN, MLS owners backtracked on having a force majeure clause tied to attendance in its proposal, which was among the most significant differences between the two proposals. A force majeure clause basically says in the case of uncontrollable events — like a pandemic — the parties in the contract do not have to meet all their obligations.
“We needed a clause that would address the possibilities of events like COVID-19 could continue next year and beyond and try to manage through the impact of that,” Garber said.
“This is something that exists in some sports league agreements. I can assure you having our entire industry and all the businesses globally, force majeure clauses are going to be a part of agreements going forward.”
Revenue sharing and paycut percentages were among other factors the two sides were reportedly still negotiating before coming to an agreement. Players will have a fivepercent pay cut for the 2020 season — less than what the league recently proposed. Players agreed to a reduced share of media rights fees — 12.5 percent in 2023 instead of 25 percent — as well to extend the CBA by one season to 2025.