Maldini Latest to join Club owners in Miami

Maldini Latest to join Club owners in Miami

AC Milan and Italian football legend Paolo Maldini becomes the latest man to own a club in the "Magic City" - Miami.

Former AC Milan man who was a former colleague with English man David Beckham for a brief period when David played in his final years of European football before leaving to MLS, has launched a team of his own.

Paolo Maldini's - Miami FC plans to start playing in 2016. The NASL is the United States' second-tier competition, below Major League Soccer.

The team will play 'in one of the existing world-class stadiums of Miami,' a statement said from the partners on Wednesday.

Maldini and co owner - Silva are backed by a group of international investors led by Antonio Barreto, a longtime sports and media entrepreneur and Miami resident who will be CEO of the club.

'I'm proud and excited to be part of this venture,' Maldini said. 'I strongly believe in the growth of soccer in USA, and this is the perfect project to develop a top-class soccer team in one of the most important cities of the world.

'We believe that the fast-growing NASL will be the perfect platform to develop a successful team and a valuable business,' Maldini added.

'Miami has been my second home for 15 years, so I look forward to spending more and more time here as co-owner of the Miami FC, giving my enthusiastic (contributions) for its success.'

On the other hand, David Beckham who has planned to start his own MLS side in Miami looks to have hit a road block.

NASL commissioner Bill Peterson called the Miami FC announcement 'another testament to the strength of our rapidly growing organization, our owner-friendly structure, and the growing popularity of NASL soccer worldwide.

'Riccardo Silva is a world leader in soccer media, and he has decided, along with his partners, that Miami and the NASL are part of an important future for the game globally,' Peterson added. 'Miami finally has an ownership group with a global vision and the experience to build a proper club that all of Miami will be proud to support.'