Inter Miami CF signed Blaise Matuidi from Juventus in summer 2020 using the targeted allocation money. Following the trasnfer, an investigation was launched because his status as a TAM player surprised everyone when his acquisition was announced.
After the investigation, the MLS announced last month that Inter Miami have breached regulations by paying Matuidi more than what was allowed, which made him a “Designated player”. In that case, Inter Miami had four designated players last season instead of the permitted three.
The designated player rule, also known as the Beckham rule, was first introduced in 2007, It states that a team is allowed to sign three designated players i.e., three players whose salary would be considered outside the salary cap.
The investigation found that the 34-year-old world cup winning midfielder and the team’s former defender, Andres Reyes, were wrongly categorized.
“The violations also included undisclosed agreements that resulted in the underreporting of salary budget amounts for players Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Nicolas Figal and Julian Carranzay,”
the MLS said.
In addition to this, the franchise also received a reduction in the transfer budget for next season, with managing owner Jorge Mas fined $250,000 and former chief executive and sporting director Paul McDonough suspended till the end of the 2022 season.
“We have worked closely with MLS to address these issues and have made significant changes in our management structure,”
Mas stated.
However, none of the players have committed any mistake and hence not investigated, said the MLS.
The fine is the highest in league history, and MLS commissioner Don Garber said: “These sanctions reflect the severity of Inter Miami’s violations.”
Inter Miami play their next game against D.C. United on Sunday at the DRV PNK Stadium.
