Beckham, Mas open up about Miami stadium deal, Lionel Messi and Real Zaragoza rumors
On the eve of their team’s third season opener, Inter Miami co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas spoke with the media about the challenges the club has faced, the reason they made wholesale roster changes and the status of the proposed Miami Freedom Park stadium.
They also pledged their commitment to coach Phil Neville and to local youth in its academy, hinting that at least one of them — believed to be Pembroke Pines 17-year-old Noah Allen — might be on the roster for Saturday’s home game against the Chicago Fire if league paperwork is completed in time.
Beckham and Mas did an exclusive interview with the Miami Herald after the Zoom news conference, during which they addressed whether there is a Plan B if the Miami Freedom Park deal falls through and whether there is validity to rumors that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi could wind up with Inter Miami. Mas also confirmed the team is in initial talks to become owners of Spanish second-division club Real Zaragoza.
Beckham, in his first public comments about the team since early 2021, said he has had to learn “to have a little bit of patience, which I don’t have much of” through the eight-year Miami stadium saga and two seasons that did not meet the owners’ or fans’ high expectations.
“The last couple of years haven’t lived up to exactly what we wanted, but when we step back as owners and when I look at the last eight years, I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved,” Beckham said. “I’m proud of bringing this team into this league and this city, to have amazing staff and players, but what really matters is winning.
“I’ve been very lucky to have played for big clubs with big players and a lot of fans and I’ve been lucky enough to be successful, but it doesn’t come easy. We are a pretty new club, so we have to be patient, but do we have that patience for too much longer? Of course not, because we’re winners.”
Beckham said there were “quite a few occasions, too many, to be honest” last season when he felt some players were not fighting enough so they made “bold decisions” to restock the roster with players selected by Neville and sporting director Chris Henderson.
Beckham and Mas stressed to the Herald that they remain bullish on the Miami Freedom Park stadium, proposed for the site of the Melreese Golf Course adjacent to Miami International Airport.
“I have said from Day One that Overtown, which is our Plan B site and has been approved by MLS, is not where the stadium should go,” Mas said, when asked what happens if the Miami city commission votes down their stadium plans on March 9 and they can’t work out a solution. “I grew up in Miami, and I think that’s not the right place for the stadium. Miami Freedom Park is the right place and it’s the place the residents and fans want it, so we’re persistent. We’ll keep pushing. I’m confident that on March 9 we will get the green light because every single element we promised the commission and the community is in the lease.
“I think it’s a tremendous deal for the city of Miami. There are elements that are unique and favorable to the city, so I see no reason why Miami Freedom Park shouldn’t move forward.”
Beckham praised Fort Lauderdale for its embrace and support, but said Miami has always been, and continues to be, the intended home.
“When I started this process eight or nine years ago we talked about Miami, and although the facility here is incredible and everybody in Fort Lauderdale has done incredible work to make this the most amazing experience but, obviously, our agreement with the league was always to have a stadium in Miami and that’s what we’ll always fight for,” Beckham said. “Our commitment from Day One has always been to have our stadium in Miami and the league has pushed us on that.”
The thought has long been that a Miami team needs a few global stars to be successful and popular, and many of the top names in the sport have been linked to the team. But Mas and Beckham say signing stars is not their priority.
“This market needs wins,” Mas said. “If we win with young kids, we’re winners. Look at the Miami Heat now. The Heat has taken kids who many people didn’t expect anything of and they’re performing and fighting, and it is amazing to watch. If we win, fans will follow. Do I think there will be stars at Inter Miami? Absolutely. But not every star fits. This is not a retirement league. If your skills have diminished, Miami is not the place for you.”
Is there any truth to the latest rumors that Messi might join Inter Miami as early as this summer?
“Leo Messi is still one of the best players in the world, his skills have not diminished,” Mas said. “I think, and David has a relationship with him, if he does leave PSG, at the time he leaves it, we’d love to see Lionel Messi be a player at Inter Miami and be part of our community. Can it happen? Look, we’ll push. I’m an optimist at heart. Could I see that happening? It’s a possibility.”
Beckham, asked if he could see Messi in an Inter Miami pink shirt, said: “I’ve always said I want the best players in our club and playing in our shirt because there’s a certain expectation. Unfortunately, sometimes it can be a bad thing. But most of the time it’s a good thing. When I first started this project, people were saying `This guy is coming, that guy is coming, Ronaldo is coming, Messi’s coming.’ At the end of the day, we need to win, whether it’s with the young kids or stars. Our fans will be happy if we have stars on the team, but they’ll be even happier if they’re seeing young players coming through our academy and lifting the MLS Cup.”
Mas confirmed that he is in exploratory ownership talks with Spanish club Real Zaragoza and explained why.
“We’re always looking at opportunities to expand the Inter Miami footprint in terms of player development,” Mas said. “Everything that has motivated David and I to look at potential partnerships or investments with clubs overseas has always been how we can better the Inter Miami roster. This is our flagship in Miami. Having relationships and ownership in different clubs gives you platforms for youth. What an amazing experience for maybe some of our academy players to go through a hopefully La Liga team and vice versa.”
Finally, both owners said have a good feeling about the revamped 2022 team, which includes 14 new faces and will be playing in a new all-pink uniform.
“I think we’ll surprise people this year,” Mas said. “You’re not going to see the best version of this team Saturday. It will be at some point during the season, and that’s true of every single team. If a team peaks tomorrow, that’s not a good thing. But our expectations are still high. We need to be a playoff team.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 1:37 PM.