David Beckham’s MLS team, Inter Miami, is facing a historic penalty of $2 million as a result of an MLS inquiry into the acquisition of Blaise Matuidi for the team in 2020.
The investigation revealed that the team violated roster guidelines by bringing Matuidi onboard, who officially joined Inter Miami in August last year. Inter Miami had asserted that Matuidi was signed using targeted allocation funds. However, MLS concluded that he should have been classified as a designated player. Additionally, the club failed to disclose agreements that led to underreported salaries for three players: Nicolas Figal, Julian Carranza, and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez.
No misconduct was found on the part of co-owner David Beckham or any other owners. Neither the players nor their awareness of any violations were found at fault. All players will continue in their current contracts.
Nonetheless, managing owner Jorge Mas has been fined $250,000 for not meeting his obligation to prevent such issues. Inter Miami’s allocation funds for the next two seasons have been reduced by almost $2.3 million. The team’s former sporting director, Paul McDonough, who departed Miami in December to join Atlanta United as vice president of soccer operations, has been suspended by MLS for the entirety of the 2022 season. It has also been revealed that he has been relieved of his duties at Atlanta United.
