Miami (AFP)

The North American Football League (MLS) fined Inter Miami, a club owned by David Beckham, two million dollars for paying French player Blaise Matuidi beyond the salary cap to which he was subject. last year.

"The MLS has sanctioned Inter Miami who violated the guidelines on salary conditions during the 2020 season, concerning Blaise Matuidi and (the Colombian) Andres Reyes," said the press release.

"A fine of $ 2 million is imposed on the club and another of $ 250,000 on co-owner Jorge Mas. In addition, Paul McDonough, sporting director of Inter Miami at the time of the offenses committed, was suspended from all functions until 'at the end of the 2022 season, "it said.

While this fine is an MLS-wide record, neither player affected by these rule violations has been penalized.

The League opened an investigation in March into the salary conditions enjoyed by Matuidi, when he signed up with the Florida club in August 2020, from Juventus Turin.

- Beckham exonerated -

It follows that the club did not respect the regulations, by not classifying him as a "designated player", namely those, at the maximum number of three per squad, who may have a salary exceeding the ceiling set by the MLS .

Which at Inter happened to be the Mexican Rodolfo Pizarro and the Argentines Matias Pellegrini and Gonzalo Higuain.

Matuidi was therefore part, like the rest of the team, of the players whose salary conditions are under TAM (Targeted Allocation Money) status, that is to say whose salary is regulated.

According to the regulations for the 2020 season, he should have been paid a minimum of $ 612,500 and a maximum of $ 1,612,500.

This obviously did not correspond to his status as a star of the team (with Higuain) and even less as reigning world champion with the Blues, crowned in 2018 in Russia.

However, the MLS investigation has established that Matuidi received more money than he should have.

For this season and the following ones, the Florida club has changed the status of the former Paris SG raster, who is now one of the "designated players" in accordance with the rule nicknamed ... "Beckham Rule".

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It was established in 2007, to allow the Los Angeles Galaxy to enlist the former star of Real Madrid, because he also benefited from emoluments far exceeding MLS standards.

Beckham was also exonerated by the League, the investigation having revealed "no wrongdoing" on his part.

© 2021 AFP