A former MLS Coach asks: “How do you tell an owner, $1.2B in debt he could be relegated?”

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·17 settembre 2025

A former MLS Coach asks: “How do you tell an owner, $1.2B in debt he could be relegated?”

Peter Vermes, former U.S. men's national team forward and longtime Sporting Kansas City coach, offered a blunt assessment when asked about the idea of promotion and relegation in Major League Soccer.

"Explain to me how you would go to an owner, who spent $500 million for a franchise fee and another $500 million into a stadium, another $100 million into a training facility, and another $50 million on players."

Vermes said on the We Are Soccer show, a podcast covering Soccer in the US.

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So let's say he's at $1.2 billion in debt. And what you're gonna tell him is a year from now, he can be relegated to the second division? How do you do that? You can't do it."

Vermes added that the very structure of American sports makes promotion and relegation unrealistic:

"Sometimes we just have to be willing to accept who we are. Our country and the sports industry is based on playoffs. That's who we are."

Vermes observes his team during an MLS game (Sporting Kansas City / X)

Broader Debate: Structure vs. Culture

The comments highlight a recurring debate in U.S. soccer. Supporters of an open system argue that promotion and relegation would drive competitiveness and allow smaller clubs in markets like Indianapolis, Phoenix, or Tampa a pathway into MLS.

Detractors, like Vermes, point to the financial model that underpins the league: billion-dollar franchise fees and infrastructure investments designed to protect owners from the risk of falling out of the top tier.

For Vermes, the playoff structure isn't just financial security — it's cultural identity. In a country where professional leagues thrive on postseason drama, his view reflects a reality many in MLS leadership share: relegation may fuel global soccer, but in the United States, there's always next year.