The American Professional Football (MLS) Inter Miami, where David Beckham is the owner, has been fined 2.2 billion won, the largest amount ever, for failing to properly comply with the league's annual salary rules.
MLS today (29th) (Korean time) announced that "a fine of $2 million (about 2.2 billion won) will be imposed on Miami for violating the league's annual salary and player registration rules for the 2020 season."
Miami didn't register as a'designated player' even though he was paid above the standard when they signed Juventus (Italy) in August last year.
In MLS, which enforces a salary cap (maximum annual salary), three'designated players' per team are not eligible for salary cap.
This'designated player' rule was created when Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in 2007 and is also called the so-called'Beckham Rule'.
Matudi was not subject to Beckham Rules, but MLS, which examined the contract in March this year, pointed out that the total amount of his remuneration was more than the amount allowed, and decided that it should be classified as a designated player.
Investigations show that Miami has violated league rules a number of times in addition to signing Matudi.
The team's former defender Andres Reyes also did not register as a designated player, and reported some missing salaries for Leandro Gonzalez Pires, Jorge Nicholas Pigal and Julian Karansa.
As a result, MLS decided to reduce the $2.27 million (2.53 billion won) allocations available to players in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, along with a $2 million fine.
The $2 million fine is the largest in MLS history.
"This discipline reflects the seriousness of Miami's violations," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
In addition, one of Miami's owners, Jorge Mars, faces a $250,000 fine, and Paul McDonough, then Chief Operating Officer (COO), is suspended until the end of the 2022 season.
MLS explained that the players did not violate the rules and were not aware of the facts, and that other owners, including Beckham, had no charges.
(Photo = Getty Image Korea)