By Duncan Mackay
December 24 – Major League Soccer (MLS) players have been told to prepare to fr a lockout in February, it has been claimed by Kasey Keller (pictured), the former Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, who now plays for Seattle Sounders.
MLS players are demanding significant changes to the way their league is organised as part of contract negotiations now entering a critical phase, which the MLS Players Union claim could jeopardise the United States’ bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Unlike most other professional leagues in the world, player contracts are owned by the MLS rather than the individual clubs and there is no transfer market.
Keller, the most capped goalkeeper in US history with 102 caps, writing on his blog, claimed that the talks involving MLS Players Union had broken down and a deal seems unlikely to be reached before the end of next month when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) ends.
He writes: ”I wish I could report that we were close to signing an agreement, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“As players we have been told of a probable lockout date of February 1.
“What’s most disappointing to me is, this isn’t a negotiation for a bunch of players wanting $8 million (£5 million) a year instead of $7 million (£4 million) a year.
“The main points revolve around us being given the same rights under FIFA as the rest of the players around the world.
“As an MLS player you have to sign away your FIFA rights before you are allowed to sign your contract.
“We would like a moderate rise in the salary cap, but the major points for the players are: guaranteed contracts, free agency, and the right to negotiate with other MLS teams.
“These are some of the basic rights the players in all the other leagues around the world have that we have to sign away.
“With the huge strides MLS has made since the last CBA this seems very reasonable.”
The threat of strike action has coincided with MLS agreeing a new four-year $9 million (£5.6 million) contract extension with Landon Donovan to stay at Los Angeles Galaxy alongside former England captain David Beckham (pictured here together).
The 27-year-old Donovan, who has scored 64 goals for Galaxy in 121 appearances and 42 goals for the US in his 120 caps, is due to join Premier League Everton on loan next month before returning to the MLS in March when the new season is due to start.
The 40-year-old Keller who returned home to the US last year after a 17-year spell in Europe, during which he also played for Millwall, Southampton and Fulham and Spain’s Rayo Vallecano and Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach, was a major success as the Sounders made their debut in the MLS.
During their first season, every home game was sold out, a new MLS record for average match attendance was set, and they sold the most season tickets in the league.
The team finished the 2009 season with a winning record and qualified for the MLS playoffs, where they were eliminated in the conference semi-finals.
Keller writes: ”I would hate to see anything get in the way of the great success of the Sounders had this year, and the respect we earned in our first year as a franchise.
“I would think that MLS and US Soccer would be proud to announce that the sport has developed so greatly in the last few years that we are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the world.”
To read Keller’s blog click here.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734912654labto1734912654ofdlr1734912654owedi1734912654sni@y1734912654akcam1734912654.nacn1734912654ud1734912654.
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