Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO, shoots down Miami soccer story

Relax Miami soccer fans. Marcelo Claure says it ain’t so.

Claure, better known around Kansas City as CEO of Sprint Corp., is behind an effort – also involving soccer legend David Beckham – to land a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami.

Earlier this month, Claure and company (formally Miami Beckham United) celebrated a breakthrough on the soccer stadium front. Talks with the city on building a soccer stadium next to the Miami Marlins baseball park could begin.

This week, however, local media tossed some cold water on that party.

A MiamiToday article listed various hurdles in the proposed soccer stadium’s path tied to “a sweetheart deal for baseball that hobbles soccer.”

One example: It said the soccer stadium can’t sell naming rights until the Marlins do, and for reasons Miami taxpayers understand, that’s not seen as happening soon.

CBS Sports’ ProSoccerTalk writer Andy Edwards picked up on the MiamiToday piece and his telling got tweeted around.

When it found its way to Claure, he fired back.

For the record, Claure has said more than once publicly that his home is in Kansas City, and his focus is on Sprint, but his soccer allegiances remain in Miami.

You see, he’s been trying for at least seven years to get an MLS franchise there.

This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO, shoots down Miami soccer story."