Inter Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira could soon be playing in MLS.
Vieira revealed on Saturday that this will be his last season playing football in Europe, and that he is considering plying his trade in the United States in 2010. Vieira also stated that former New York Red Bull and French international Youri Djorkaeff had a role in convincing him of playing in MLS.
The 33-year-old has one year remaining on his contract with the reigning Serie A champions, but there has been no guarantee of a renewal after the season. Vieira received interest from Arsenal and Tottenham this summer, but opted to stay with Inter Milan.
What do you think of Vieira possibly coming to MLS? Which team do you think he would fit best with? Would you welcome Vieira, or is he another Denilson waiting to happen?
Share your thoughts below.
Please, no more old injury-prone foreign stars.
He’s still capable of playing to a decent standard, but he’s not going to be a major draw for casual fans and he certainly isn’t going to set any games alight. Sure, he’d make a lot better contribution than Denílson or Reyna, but isn’t a necessity to this league.
He’s a great player and would bring a lot of class to MLS, just like Djokaeff did. Any MLS team would be glad to have him.
sweet another old man looking to collect a pay check
Great news. Looks like the Beckham mania paying off. Nedved wants to come by next year and maybe Viera will be here. Henry will be here by 2011. Every MLS team should have a DP and they should have the Red Carpet treatment, do a ton of PR and make every city whether it be Kansas City or New England aware of their star power and accomplishments.
The following is from an interview with John Doyle (Quakes GM) by Jay Hipps last year:
“Patrick Vieira, the French international, his agent called,” Doyle notes. “He says, ‘We’re interested in exploring the MLS and he wants to go either to New York, San Francisco, or L.A. He’s currently on 7 million Euros per year (about $11 million) but it’s not about the money — he wants to come to America.’ ‘So, what would he want here?’ ‘Oh, probably six, seven million dollars.’ And you say, ‘Thank you, we’d love to have him, he’s a great player, what an honor it would be to have a player like this, but we can’t have that player. He doesn’t fit in our league.’”
Who’s really going to be willing to drop DP++ money on this guy? The only thing that I could think of is that LA might fork out the cash if they can get a decent transfer fee from Donovan, and from the salary they won’t have to pay Beckham.
Even then they would have to be pretty sure that’s really who they want. He’s a big name to soccer fans, but he’s not exactly someone I think would pull people in at the gate.
We don’t need a gay old Frenchman
Pay him $3million a year. Decent pay for a an older player of his caliber. Only Beckham is worth the amount he worth. Ronaldinho is the only current DP-like player that would be worth that kinda cash.
Guys like Sol Campbell could have come to MLS for $1.5 million.
You guys gotta realize DP’s need at least $1million if they from Europe. They need a 2 or 3 year contract and if marketed in the right way, can bring more people to stadiums and prestige.
Stop being cheap and get behind it. We need more South American youth talent and we need European DP’s while our American talent flourish here and abroad.
ahhh… funny to hear the starving masses reject a sandwich because they want a steak.
if he is willing to come and someone is willing to pay him, then let him raise the standard of play in MLS. let him challenge guys like Holden and Beckerman and let him improve the USMNT in the process.
give me the sandwich.
I would love to have him in Chicago. Hopefully Blanco is out and Viera is in.
Every MLS team needs a DP. They do. And cut them out of the salary cap.
Yawn……
@sasoccerfan
If the sandwich costs as much as a steak, it’s a bit less appealing.
If a club can grab him for “sandwich” price, then I’m all for it. 6-7 milli is a bit much when most mls clubs aren’t even out of the red.
Injury prone??? Some of you guys talk so much smack about players and don’t even bother to watch them day in and out. That is what is wrong with MLS, people that have no soccer IQ watching it and running their mouth.
Vieira would be a great addition to any team. But only for the right amount of money. Don’t think that he should be a DP unless that gets restructured with the new CBA. Or MLS doesn’t allow DPs to count against the cap.
RSL. A great player. Would make any team better. which means more wins, playoffs, $$$. Someone will grab him
vieira and juan pablo angel would be a nice tandem
We need more guys like him. A ton of 30-35 year old top European vets who would like to retire in MLS, but not for $1million. We need to tell them at least $2 million to $ 4million depending on their caliber and fame. We’d get tons of offers.
Why do we keep picking up these old over the hill guys. Use that same wasted money on some younger talent or keeping the young talent you have in the league?
I think it’s been clear for a while that people in European football don’t really know anything about MLS. And that eurosnobs in the US clamoring for MLS to sign these type of guys don’t know anything about a balance sheet.
I would love to have him in Chicago. Hopefully Blanco is out and Viera is in.
Posted by: Joe | August 29, 2009 at 02:29 PM
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A holding midfielder is the least of Chicago’s problems heading into next season.
Unless Viera is going to play centerback for the Fire, Chicago needs to focus on a target man to back up McBride and play along side Nyarko and need another quality Defender to play fullback and centerback.
Honestly, from a fan of MLS – I’m utterly tired of retired players coming here. For every GBS there is about 1,000 other so-called big named players that soak up the funds and ruin the direction of the league.
Front Offices should focus more on finding Fredy Montero’s (on the cusp of success, talent-wise) than players way past their prime.
I hate this guy with a passion, and I’ve always thought he was overrated. It’s always cool to have a big name come to the league, but I can’t see him being worth DP salary, not even in this league.
@Goalscorer and MensreaJim,
You’re right on both points. MLS needs to grow, needs to have a higher standard of play. It’s growing slowly, I want someone to shoot it up with morphine.
We need South American talent. Guys like Freddy Montero. Tons of young guys like him that we should get here. MLS execs need to do their jobs and give the teams money to do this.
Several top quality European players wanna play here. Yes to retire. But many don’t wanna play 1 year, maybe 2 or 3. They want to close a career. Our league ain’t like the Portuguese or Dutch. They will have to work hard but not as hard as before. More players like Viera or Henry gives a more spotlight on the league. More teams, more fans, it all goes together. can’t you guys see?
I would say Defensive Midfielder is one area of strength for both MLS and USMNT… and will a seldom scoring/defensive player really bring in fans? I think he would be an asset from a technical and experience standpoint, but Viera would not bring out more fans just to see his excellant positioning and killing of opponents counter-attacks.
He could get Angel money, nothing more. Won’t sell any shirts, so why would he think he could fetch $7 million?
I don’t think European players understand that MLS is a physical league.
The idea that he wouldn’t help almost any team in MLS is laughable. Obviously he’s not getting Beckham money, but he’s a great player.
Tony, he is a great player, but does he have any legs left?
I think he’s easily worth $3million and you know he would bring other Frenchies over. Henry, Trezguet, Gallas (someday)
MLS is a physical league???? Wow, thats a first, MLS is a “GROWING” league, so you cannot put a name on it, because it definitely is not a technical league, and ive seen this happen wayyyy too many times where players choose to let the ball roll out of bounds on the sidelines then keep it in play, especially when no1 is around, also, when a ball is in the air, and no1 is around, the typical “MLS” player will head it forward, instead of trappin it, looking around, passing and keepin the ball on the ground for more control, that said, I love watching MLS and can’t wait for it to become more diverse, Viera will help any team yes, but if he really wants to come to America then he has to sacrifice a bit and get a lower salary, MLS is not quite there yet with big money figures
I love Arsenal and Vieira but he’s too injury prone for any team looking for that type of player. I wouldn’t spend money on him..
The fact that Youri had good things to say about MLS is what I find crazy…
MLS needs to improve its player development ability and bringing in player like Vieira can challenge younger talents to step up their game. He would be a great piece for Phily or Vancouver to build their teams around.
no way is he another denilson
he is in such better form than denilson was when he signed
Veira i believe is a different sort of player too…..he can sit in the middle of the park, make great passes and tackles, and take good shots around the 18, he will be a good CM in MLS b/c he is in good condition but centre midfield isnt a position that requires alot of stamina on top of it…..denilson was a winger my freinds(the most running pretty much and didnt have his game any more because of that)
MIKE, 475,000 dollars is paid by the club if he is a DP on salary and the rest by owners around the league……he would make way more than JPA but way less than Beckham
I’m not a fan of bringing Vieira in. Not because I’m not a fan of his game — because I AM! I love his game. He’s excellent at position and keeping possession and he’s so fluid and smooth. I enjoy watching him play but he wouldn’t fit in the league.
HOWEVER, think of what just happened…Youri played here. He convinced Vieira MLS is worth looking at. Let’s say Vieira comes here. NOW, it becomes a situation where the potential is there for Vieira to bring others here. Granted, I want to develop our homegrown talent but this is great for our league because all the referrals (assuming there will be any) will result in bringing better talent into the league.
I seriously doubt MLS would pay him anything near what he can get elsewhere and since he’s not a big name draw … I just don’t see it happening. Sorry.
Does anybody else get sick of the phrase “plying his trade” in soccer articles?
Next year, Nedved to RSl. Viera to philly.
1. This may just be him angling for big money–for a Saudi or Japanese team to pony up the bucks figuring “it’s us vs. MLS–we can outbid them!”
2. I think people have the totally wrong ideal about the DP. Very few DP’s (unless they’re Mexican or a brand like Beckham) are going to significantly draw fans for a full year.
The idea behind a DP is to:
–raise the level of play in the league (especially by adding a player who either raises the level of his teammates OR can have some magical moments)
–raise the credibility of the league with some Euro/Mexican snobs
–raise the credibility of the league outside of the league (which makes it easier for the league to sign a Montero or Toja when they’re young and in their prime).
If your standard is: sell tickets and bring in a lot of fans that Beckham, maybe a few Mexicans, maybe Ronaldo (maybe) would do that in MLS. Put Ronaldo on the current RBNY team and if their record was the same with the same level of play, I don’t think you’d see much of a difference in attendance.
3. I actually think Viera “might” be a good addition. He’s the kind of player that would make a big difference in international competitions and playoffs (ie: tight matches where composure, vision, a good touch and experience at the highest levels matters).
I know a lot of RBNY fans are feasting over Henry. And I think that’s an indication of part of what has been wrong with the Metros/RBNY franchise for so long–looking to hit a homerun out of the ballpark when the hitter struggles just to make contact. You look at the current RBNY team and you see one that is just terrible in the middle of the field and since Reyna got hurt, has been the past 2 years. Viera (if he stayed healthy) would be a huge stabilizing factor in the middle for a team like the Red Bulls. He’d allow guys like Richards and Zimmerman and Stammler to play more role players functions (emphasize their strengths and hide/minimize their weaknesses). I think a big part of why Angel has been so ineffective this year is the lack of possession and resulting lack of service from the middle of the field (which has affected his energy level as well).
4. As for the argument about injuries: name a DP that hasn’t had injury problems? Angel arrived with a bad back and he’s been hurt a bunch this year. Reyna, Ljundberg, Beckham, Blanco, Gallardo, even Schelotto this year–every DP I can think of has battled injuries at some point. Angel in 2008 was a rarity.
“MLS is a physical league???? Wow, thats a first,”
You’re kidding right? Do actually watch MLS? It’s pretty uniformly described as a physical league. And until this year, defenders pretty much had to beat guy with tire irons before they got called for it.
It is absolutely a physical league. And you have to be a good athlete to play in most teams’ systems. Slow, technical guys (read: old players from Europe) are generally going to have a tough time playing in MLS.
I laughed when I saw that bit about Youri. I think the thing he liked the most was that he could take long, unexplained absences from the team and not be penalized by the team.
Just want to clarify–I am not knocking Vieira as a player. Of course he would do very well here if motivated and healthy.
But no MLS team can meet his salary demands. If someone were to pay him $7 million/per (lol), where would that money come from? We would all love to see top-flight players here–and certainly to keep our own–but this was a hard-learned lesson 25 years ago.
4. As for the argument about injuries: name a DP that hasn’t had injury problems? Angel arrived with a bad back and he’s been hurt a bunch this year. Reyna, Ljundberg, Beckham, Blanco, Gallardo, even Schelotto this year–every DP I can think of has battled injuries at some point. Angel in 2008 was a rarity.
Posted by: JoeW | August 29, 2009 at 07:12 PM
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The above further soldifies why I think the idea of bringing in a 35+ year old is generally a bad idea from every angle, despite the name.
If they’re not on the pitch, they’re not helping the Club, period.
The league would be better served using those funds towards development and getting the Reserve league back up and going, along with upgrading the Academy process.
Houston, once again, is showing why they’re the class of MLS (along with DC United).
Look at what they are using their **FIRST** DP ever on: a 24 year old, striker of Mexican heritage.
Win, win & win.
That, along with Fredy Montero, should be the direction MLS heads for a productive, profitable and progressing league.
Not re-tread ” big names ” that will just be injured and out of the league within a year or two.
You all talk such nonsense.
We need DP’s like a virgin needs a whorehouse.
I say pay DP’s anywhere from a million to 4 million. Viera is worth at least $2million if not $3million. His move would put a spotlight on the league and more French players would consider MLS.
Look at Beckham. He played a ton of games for England while playing for Galaxy. And even if he had not gone to MLS, he wouldnt be starting for England. He’s a sub at best but at least with Galaxy, he has more time to focus and stay healthy.
Come on Viera. Bring Henry with you. Even bring Anelka in 3 years
he played 20 mins for inter today, you had teams like arsenal and other EPl/serie A teams inquring about him. but noooooo he’s not good enough for MLS.
I’m sorry, how many thousands of fans do we expect a French Defensive Midfielder to bring to the stadiums?
My guess would be none.
$3 to $11 million in salary would get maybe a million back in increased revenue.
Yeah, it would be nice to have a “name”. But he won’t bring anyone in and his salary would just drive his team (presumably running at a loss already) deeper into the red.
Only Beckham, Pele and Keira Knightly would bring in that kind of revenue in ticket sales.
Stammler/Vieira central midfield pairing for 2010
I think the Red Bulls need to jump on this and have Vieria be the man that will help the team get through a whole sale change. Vieria is a man that could really help this team wake up and turn things around. I think if the team could bring him in and then work around him and Angel, I think that team should be able to build a winning team. I will say though its about time that the team goes out and finds a coach that isnt coming to be in NY, but here to gelp the team get where it has never really been before.
I agree that Vieira would be a great fit for the Red Bulls, and might be the kind of thing that would induce JPA to stay another year. As far as the money goes, MLS knows that they are losing stacks of cash now by having a poor team in NYC. My guess: Garber is willing to get out the checkbook to breathe life into Red Bulls.
It would be nice if MLS would be as interested in clubs like Dallas, but I imagine they see NYC as the top priority.
We’d break him in five minutes.
Not to go too far off topic, but what is this about Nedved coming to MLS? He announced his retirement in the last week or so- it was all over the Czech news where I live.
First of all people need to no this, HE IS NOT A DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER! He is a play maker who can defend, there’s a major difference.
As a Arsenal fan I would like him to come to this league but… he is way over priced for someone who is injury prone. MLS is lower quality than the Serie A but MLS plays much faster so I don’t think he would translate too well over.
quality of life is best in USA baby
Yet another over the hill player using the MLS as a tool to raise his salary at another European club.
Viera is NOT over the hill. At 33 he still has a few years left, more in MLS.
He is currently not starting for Inter, a club that has aspirations of winning the CL. When he does get into Inter’s games he does fine. Absolutely would be an addition to MLS.
Now do I agree with a salary of $7 or $8 million a year? That is a tough one. I would say go ahead and do it if it would increase television viewership. Our game will not compete for top talent until the television contracts can bring in the bacon. Not a billion dollars lke the NFL but they need more TV money badly or we ain’t gettin nowhere.
As an Arsenal supporter, I love Patrick Viera. But, playing in MLS and is considering the move via Youri’s recommendation makes me skittish on wanting him on RB.