David Beckham has heard the naysayers who doubted Inter Miami CF’s aggressive construction timetable for the club’s training facility and stadium ahead of the expansion side’s inaugural Major League Soccer Season.
And, after seeing the progress at the facility earlier this month, the Inter Miami co-owner is happy to report “everything is on schedule.”
“I was at the training facility last week and stadium in [Fort Lauderdale] and it’s the first time I’ve seen it since we broke ground five months ago,” Beckham said in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with beIN SPORTS. “People turn around to us and say you’ll never build a stadium, you’ll never build a training facility in eight months, but we’ve done that. I’m excited.
“I shouldn’t jinx it, but seeing it last week, everything is on schedule and we’re excited.”
The former LA Galaxy standout said club ownership was never an aspiration for him and he’s still getting used to that moniker.
“As a young kid, I only ever wanted to be a professional footballer, I only ever wanted to play for Manchester United and represent my country,” he said. “I was lucky to play for some other great teams as well. But to look back now and say I own a club, that’s very special.”
In what he called a seven-year process to become an owner of an MLS team, Beckham sought out advice from a number of people.
That long process has now culminated with the start of preseason next month and Inter Miami’s long-awaited MLS opener March 1 (5:30 pm ET | ESPN) against LAFC at Banc of California Stadium.
“I’m finally there,” he said. “Our preseason starts in January, our first game is the first of March so it’s coming around really quickly.
“I’m very fortunate that I’ve done well in my career and I’ve had the opportunities then to progress into being an owner of a team,” Beckham added. “I’m very proud of that.”
