Red Bull Global Technical Director Paul Mitchell has departed the organization to join as AS Monaco as the team’s Sporting Director. The loss follows a series of departures for Red Bull which include Ralf Rangnick who will be joining AC Milan shortly. Mitchell joined Red Bull in 2018 as the team’s Head of Recruitment and Development. In a short time, he worked his way up to Technical Director, overseeing not just RB Lepzig but also Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls and RB Bragantino. This move will give the former Wigan Athletic player a more involved role with a Monaco team that is looki ..read more

EDITORIAL – Okay, I know this won’t be very popular with some of our readers, but no, Major League Soccer is not back. Not even close. Now don’t get me wrong. After nearly a hundred days of being quarantined in our homes due to COVID-19, staring at replays of matches over and over again on our televisions, following our beloved team playing in a game that counts (more on that later) is something a whole lot better than the alternative. Is It All in the Name? As far as the tournament’s name is concerned, some weren’t too thrilled as my friend Bill Reese pointed it out on Twitter: The brightest ..read more

Major League Soccer has finally revealed details on their one month tournament to compensate for the loss of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. The event will take place between July 8th and August 11th with all 26 teams competing in a World Cup style tournament. The tournament will feature a group stage, which all 26 teams will be divided into in a draw starting tomorrow. After that they will play one game against their opponents before progressing to the knockout stage. The winner of the tournament will gain entry into the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. As mentioned in the past, the tourname ..read more

Major League Soccer and MLS Players’ Association have reached an agreement on a modified collective bargaining agreement that will take them through the 2025 season. The 180-degree turn comes after a lockout appeared on the horizon following the league’s dismissal of a proposal from the union earlier in the week. “MLS Players today ratified a new collective bargaining agreement,” said a statement from the union. “Today’s vote also finalized a plan to resume the 2020 season and provides players with certainty for the months ahead. It allows our members to move forward and continue to compete i ..read more

Major League Soccer owners are hoping to avoid a lockout of players by extending their deadline for an agreement after a hard stance just 24-hours earlier. The MLSPA recently sent a counter proposal that accepted pay cuts but also asked for certain assurances during the proposed Orlando tournament that appears to be taking shape. The news from ESPN has that not only is there going to be an agreement on economic concessions but also a revision to the CBA to avoid future issues. Such a move would avoid the league’s first ever work stoppage which seemed to be an inevitability over the past 48-ho ..read more

Sources from ESPN have indicated that Major League Soccer will the latest MLSPA proposal indicating that their last offer was the final one. The latest negotiations have reached a wall where, unless there is an easing of tension, an owner lockout of the players looms on the horizon. The latest MLSPA proposal asked for a reduction in salary of 7.5% as opposed to the 8.5% the owners indicated. Along with that, there was an ask for planning around testing staff workers at hotels for COVID-19 and how the players would be kept safe while being quarantined during the proposed Orlando tournament. Re ..read more

Major League Soccer is hoping to return to play on June 24th, according to ESPN and the The Athletic, after the MLSPA sent a proposal to the league for concessions to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The negotiations, which have been heated according to sources, reached a roadblock when discussing safety measures at the proposed tournament. The format would see all 26 teams travel to Orlando, Florida for a six-week tournament. Much like the World Cup, everyone will be split into groups and play three games before advancing to a knockout stage. Should this happen, MLS would be the first me ..read more

COMMENTARY – Some time ago, after PetkeGate exploded, embarrassingly like a cheap cigar, and leading up to the now-infamous Town Hall meeting at Red Bull Arena, I challenged the RBNY front office about improving relations with the fanbase. It hasn’t been perfect, but they have gotten a little better in that regard. Who knew that a bit of transparency goes a long way? If you’re all wondering what this has to do with a recent article written by good folks over at The Atlantic, please keep reading. It seems that Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has sent a memo to all league and club pe ..read more

New York Red Bulls captain Sean Davis was smiling wide when discussing his team’s return to training following a lengthy suspension due to COVID-19. It was only yesterday that the governors of New York and New Jersey have allowed professional sports teams to begin operations again. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Davis. “Our area has been hit pretty hard but I think the club has had great patience. We’ve prepared for this. I think the staff has done a great job designing sessions, medical teams have done a great job of designing the protocol and, I think for all the ..read more

The state of New Jersey has approved of the return to business for professional athletes, clearing the way for the New York Red Bulls to return to training. According to the team, there will be a return to individual, voluntary player workouts starting today at the team’s training facility in East Hanover. Major League Soccer began allowing teams to return to training on May 1st. However, that had to coincide with local guidelines being followed and, at the time, New York and New Jersey were still under orders that kept this from happening. Executive Order 148 has changed that, and the team c ..read more