Chinaglia, Unsurpisingly, Says He Could Run MLS Better

Here's a nice, tasty morsel for all of you who don't ride the NYC subway every morning. The free newspaper METRO has an exclusive interview with one of the most opinionated men in soccer, Giorgio Chinaglia . And with a mouth as big as his of course everybody also has an opinion on Georgio as well. Soccernet's talented young jedi Kristian Dyer gives us a look in on the ex-Cosmo and gets an earful of his take on the state of MLS, which now leaves Regis Philbin as the only person who has not given his thought on the topic.

This was not available online anywhere so below is a transcription of a pdf file. The article reads as follows.


Weekend, April 6-8, 2007
Wrong direction
Despite signings, ex-Cosmo star Giorgio
wants more from Major League Soccer

Giorgio Chinaglia can’t help it. With Major League Soccer beginning its 12th season tomorrow, Chinaglia — one of the star members of the New York Cosmos — remains a voice of discontent amidst a sea of positive moves in the league. Despite the recent landmark television deal with ESPN and the signing of English national team star David Beckham to a record deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chinaglia is dissatisfied with the league’s direction.

“I don’t think they have good leadership, to be honest with you, they don’t come from the world of soccer,” said Chinaglia, now host of his own show on Sirius radio and a television personality. “They have no clue. It is sad what they do in the league office.” Brash and unapologetic, Chinaglia, who played with the Cosmos from 1977 to 1983, was never afraid to be a lightning rod for criticism. “Pelé was the brand,” said Peppe Pinton, the last manager of the now-defunct Cosmos. “But Chinaglia, he was the franchise.”

While the old franchise thinks the signing of MLS’ new franchise player is a great deal, he thinks the move will be fruitless unless it comes with other changes. “They all thought that the signing of Beckham would bring other great players,” said Chinaglia, with a slight laugh. “It hasn’t.” The main reason for this, he points out, is the salary cap of roughly $2.2 million dollars for the 28-man roster is inadequate to attract starpower. The MLS has adopted a “Beckham rule” for teams to exceed the cap limit to bring in a big-name star.

Despite the criticism of the outspoken Chinaglia, MLS can point to many signs of growth beyond the signing of Beckham. More than half of the national team’s players in the 2006 World Cup currently play in MLS, with several more having spent part of their career in the league before moving to the more lucrative European leagues. And the New York franchise was purchased for $100 million by Red Bull last March. Still, Chinaglia thinks he could make it even better.

Just look at the Cosmos. Could a MLS team stand a chance against the Cosmos? “Are you kidding me?” Chinaglia said, breaking into a laugh. “Not a chance.”

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Could Chinaglia run Red Bull better? If you believe that I have some Champions World stock I would love to sell you. You remember Champions World don't you? He went bankrupt booking foriegn clubs for exhibitions in the states....the same thing that SUM is doing now (and much better) and making money hand over fist for MLS.