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Philadelphia Union CEO Sakiewicz Hails New MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement
The two-time MLS Executive of the Year recently spoke with the media about the benefits of the new deal.
Mar 21, 2010 9:59:00 PM
By Ramin Majd
The new five-year collective bargaining agreement announced Saturday between Major League Soccer’s management and players will make MLS a more attractive destination for players and continue the growth of the American game, according to Nick Sakiewicz, CEO of the Philadelphia Union.
The sudden word of a compromise was a surprise to observers. For weeks, it seemed increasingly likely that the start of the season would be delayed. The chasm between the league and the players appeared to be widening on key issues. After the players took their case to the media, several high-ranking executives in MLS management returned rhetorical fire with unprecedented force.
How did all this strife affect the Philadelphia Union, an expansion club preparing for its first-ever game? With just days left before the players were set to strike, Sakiewicz insisted it was business as usual for the team.
“I’m exceptionally proud of the fact that our guys didn’t allow the distractions to get in the way. That was a real testament to their commitment to our club and our commitment to win in Seattle next Thursday,” Sakiewicz said in a conference call with the media.
The players’ three main concerns going into negotiations were pay, guaranteed contracts, and free agency. They got two out of three: the salary cap will be increased and most players will receive guaranteed contracts of some kind.
But the league did not cave on free agency, fearing the kind of bidding wars for players that bankrupted the North American Soccer League in the 1980s. However, players out of contract can enter a “re-entry draft” and get picked up by another team, addressing the existing purgatory state where players whose contracts expire cannot play for another MLS team unless that team deals his rights.
“I pretty excited about that part of it,” Sakiewicz noted, “because it tells me that the union and the league really got creative in terms of providing new rules that protect players who have served well over the years, but at the tail end of their careers were not desired by the teams they were with but still have an opportunity to play in the league.”
Giving players better pay and more rights was essential not only to get the existing players to sign on the dotted line, but also to keep MLS competitive in relation to other leagues around the world as a destination for homegrown talent.
As a former player himself, the role of MLS in America’s soccer future is a subject near to Sakiewicz’s heart.
“Many of us who played in the 80s had to find other options because there were a lot of foreigners playing in our domestic leagues. When we started this league, there was an acute focus towards developing the American player, which is why the majority of our rosters are Americans. That rule has given Americans the opportunity to play and has improved our national team. The quality of the American player has gone up dramatically over the last 15 to 20 years.”
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
The sudden word of a compromise was a surprise to observers. For weeks, it seemed increasingly likely that the start of the season would be delayed. The chasm between the league and the players appeared to be widening on key issues. After the players took their case to the media, several high-ranking executives in MLS management returned rhetorical fire with unprecedented force.
How did all this strife affect the Philadelphia Union, an expansion club preparing for its first-ever game? With just days left before the players were set to strike, Sakiewicz insisted it was business as usual for the team.
“I’m exceptionally proud of the fact that our guys didn’t allow the distractions to get in the way. That was a real testament to their commitment to our club and our commitment to win in Seattle next Thursday,” Sakiewicz said in a conference call with the media.
The players’ three main concerns going into negotiations were pay, guaranteed contracts, and free agency. They got two out of three: the salary cap will be increased and most players will receive guaranteed contracts of some kind.
But the league did not cave on free agency, fearing the kind of bidding wars for players that bankrupted the North American Soccer League in the 1980s. However, players out of contract can enter a “re-entry draft” and get picked up by another team, addressing the existing purgatory state where players whose contracts expire cannot play for another MLS team unless that team deals his rights.
“I pretty excited about that part of it,” Sakiewicz noted, “because it tells me that the union and the league really got creative in terms of providing new rules that protect players who have served well over the years, but at the tail end of their careers were not desired by the teams they were with but still have an opportunity to play in the league.”
Giving players better pay and more rights was essential not only to get the existing players to sign on the dotted line, but also to keep MLS competitive in relation to other leagues around the world as a destination for homegrown talent.
As a former player himself, the role of MLS in America’s soccer future is a subject near to Sakiewicz’s heart.
“Many of us who played in the 80s had to find other options because there were a lot of foreigners playing in our domestic leagues. When we started this league, there was an acute focus towards developing the American player, which is why the majority of our rosters are Americans. That rule has given Americans the opportunity to play and has improved our national team. The quality of the American player has gone up dramatically over the last 15 to 20 years.”
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page
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