Major League Soccer players would have their salaries reduced and play in a summer tournament in Orlando, Fla., as part of their latest proposal to league admin-ajax.phps for a resumed 2020 season.
The players union sent the proposal to team admin-ajax.phps Sunday. The MLS season has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Players voted to approve the terms of a proposal from admin-ajax.phps while they made modifications to other aspects of the proposal Sunday night.
They also agreed to extend their current collective bargaining agreement by one year. The salary reductions would be across the entire player pool and include team and individual bonuses.
“While a difficult vote in incredibly challenging times, it was taken collectively to ensure that players can return to competition as soon as they are safely able to do so,” the players union said.
Orlando tournament plans include 26 teams and a tentative June 24 start date. The tournament would have a three-game group stage, followed by a knockout round. It would last about six weeks.
MLS players and team admin-ajax.phps agreed to their current labor agreement in February. The MLS season was suspended after teams had played just two games. MLS allowed teams to return to small, voluntary group training sessions on Thursday.
The latest proposal could result in the players being locked out of the league, or missed games and/or paychecks for the players.
Sources told ESPN and The Athletic that MLS gave the players until noon EDT Tuesday to accept their “final” proposal, and the players would be locked out if they did not accept it.
The National Women’s Soccer League was scheduled to start its season April 18 before it was suspended. The league announced last week creation of a 25-game tournament. The Olympic-style competition will be played in June and July at three stadiums in Utah and air on CBS.
MLS has announced cancellations of its All-Star Game, the Campeones Cup and the Leagues Cup.
