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Inter Miami Fined MLS Record $2M for Violating Salary Budget and Roster Regulations
May 28, 2021
Major League Soccer fined Inter Miami CF $2 million for violating the league's salary budget and roster guidelines during the 2020 season.
MLS explained the sanctions in a press release Friday.
"The violations included the incorrect roster categorization for players Blaise Matuidi and Andres Reyes who should have occupied a Designated Player slot. The violations also included undisclosed agreements that resulted in the underreporting of salary budget amounts for players Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Nicolas Figal and Julian Carranza."
In addition to the club's fine, managing owner Jorge Mas was fined $250,000.
Paul McDonough, who worked as Inter Miami's COO and sporting director in 2020, was suspended by MLS through the 2022 campaign.
He had joined Atlanta United as its vice president of soccer operations in January, but the club announced that it had mutually agreed to part ways with him following the news of his suspension.
The league also reduced the club's allocation dollars by $2.3 million for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
MLS made clear that other Inter Miami owners Marcelo Claure, Masayoshi Son, Jose Mas and David Beckham did not do anything wrong. That also goes for the team's players, who were not subjects of the investigation. The league reported their contracts were unaffected.
Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald reported that the $2 million fine was a league record. MLS began play in 1996.
Inter Miami finished 2020 with seven wins, 13 losses and three draws, which landed the expansion franchise 10th in the Eastern Conference. It has two wins, three losses and two draws this year.
