With Major League Soccer’s current collective bargaining agreement with its players set to expire at the end of 2009, the league received a shot across its bow over the weekend, as the MLS Players Union voiced displeasure with the bonus structure for SuperLiga, which began for D.C. United with a 2-1 loss to CD Guadalajara on Saturday.
“MLS is misleading its great fans,” said the union in a statement. “What has not been revealed by the league is that its New York office has unilaterally set its own bonus structure for players, who will receive only a small fraction of the $1 million,” a number the league has touted in its marketing of the tournament.
That fraction is $150,000, which is divided among the players, or $5,357.14 if shared equally among 28 players on a winning team. A runner-up receives $100,000, a semifinal loser $50,000.
“This puts MLS players at a significant competitive disadvantage as the Mexican clubs are not operating under the same rules,” said the union, claiming it believes last year’s winner, Pachuca, split $1 million among its players. The team apparently donated a portion of its winnings to victims of Hurricane Dean.
The league responded that the bonuses are voluntary and claimed it is at risk because it stages SuperLiga.
“The player bonuses [MLS] has voluntarily made available for this five-game tournament,” said MLS spokesperson Will Kuhns, “compare very favorably with the bonuses the MLS Players Union specifically negotiated for MLS Cup champions, CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, and Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champions.”
