FCBARCELONA.CAT

04.11.2008 20:26

Barça's Miami Project now online

The bid for a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami spearheaded by Futbol Club Barcelona and local Miami businessman, Marcelo Claure, took another step forward this weekend with the launch of www.MiamiFCB.com.

The website ( www.MiamiFCB.com ) allows fans to sign up as supporters of the Club and to express interest in season tickets. In the coming days the team will also begin taking deposits for season tickets.

“We know Miami is a great soccer town, and now with a potential Major League Soccer coming to town, we think it is a great opportunity to show the world that we deserve a team,” said Marcelo Claure, CEO of Brightstar Corp and the lead partner alongside Futbol Club Barcelona. “Our goal is to get over 15,000 fans signed up and over 5,000 season ticket requests in the next week; it is a tall order but we believe the community is fully behind this initiative and will come out to support it.”

Mr. Laporta, President of Futbol Club Barcelona,further confirmed that “FC Barcelona is very enthusiastic with the MLS project. It is a very special initiative for our club to be part of." "Over the course of many years," added Mr. Laporta, "we have been looking for an opportunity like this one because it has been our aim was to be present in the American market.”

The gateway to the Americas

As the gateway to the Americas, Miami has always had a strong soccer following. To put the interest in soccer into context, South Florida’s current metropolitan area population is 5.36 million, with almost 1 million of the inhabitants originating from South America, Central America, Jamaica or Haiti, countries known for their avid love and support of soccer. In addition, soccer participation in Florida is impressive. There are over 825,178 active soccer participants in Florida, representing 4.6% of the total state population. Both of these figures are the fourth highest in the United States. Futbol Club Barcelona and Marcelo Claure are confident that these indicators will provide for a healthy and successful franchise in the sunshine state.

“We need to show the MLS that Miami is the best choice, and the most effective way to do that is by having Miami and all its soccer fans show their support” Marcelo Claure added.

Mr. Laporta added that "Miami is the ideal choice for an MLS franchise. It is the gateway to the hopes and dreams of many people. Miami is a great city with a lot of activity, and where people enthusiatically embrace new initatives and entertainment options. I am confident that we will deliver an attractive offer to all the great soccer fans in Miami by playing high quality soccer in a very special environment."