NEW YORK - In European soccer, the best collection of modern stadiums, the most financially stable clubs, and the highest attendance averages are in Germany. Few leagues around the world have matched Major League Soccer's rapid growth on and off the field in recent years.
Thus, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert today unveiled an agreement between the two leagues to share experience, expertise, and best practices on an ongoing basis. MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis and Bundesliga Executive Board Member Tom Bender also participated in today's announcement in Miami at the SPORTELAmerica convention for sports television and new media. Gazidis and Bender forged the base of the new relationship two weeks ago in New York.
"This relationship marks an important step forward for Major League Soccer," Garber said. "We are all aware that this age of globalization means new challenges for soccer, the most global sport. We are proud to enter this mutually beneficial relationship with the Bundesliga, one of the world's most well-run and most successful soccer leagues."
"We initiated discussions with Major League Soccer because of the impressive progress it has made since its inception in 1996," Seifert said. "We look forward to learning from MLS, an exemplary organization and a modern league with an eye on the future. Likewise, we are proud to contribute to the continued rise of soccer in the United States."
The relationship will facilitate collaboration between the two leagues in a number of functional areas:
- Player Development
- Officiating Services
- Broadcast Logistics
- Production Details
- New Media Developments
- Marketing Strategies
- Stadium Design
- Competition Rules
- Corporate/Governance Structure
Representatives from parallel departments in the respective leagues will communicate regularly during the year and periodically travel to see each other's work in person.
"This agreement will provide our coaches, referees, executives, and other employees an invaluable resource," Gazidis said. "Consulting with soccer experts in Germany who work in similar fields will infuse new ideas and help us think progressively as a sports business."
Founded in 1963, the Bundesliga has 18 teams in its top division and another 18 teams in its second division (referred to in English as the Second Bundesliga), both under the governance of the Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL). In 2005-06, Bundesliga matches averaged an attendance of 40,775, breaking its record for the fifth consecutive year and remaining the top per-game average among soccer leagues worldwide. The Bundesliga's sponsorship and licensing plans have proven lucrative and television broadcasts of its games are among the most advanced and soccer-savvy in the world.
"We could not be more pleased by the discussions we already have had with MLS," Bender said. "They have welcomed our every inquiry and have become our trusted colleagues. Soccer is still taking off in the United States and that is exciting, but it should be noted that the Bundesliga and MLS have more in common than people might imagine. So we are eager to develop this relationship."
