LA Galaxy are heading to Asia at the beginning of March for a tour that will include stops in Seoul and Shanghai.
Soccerphile.com had a chance to exchange a few e-mails with the owner of the California club -Alexei Lalas.
Lalas, who played 96 times for the US National Team, was, of course, the man behind the David Beckham transfer.
Is Asia important to LA Galaxy’s plans to become a seriously big club?
You can’t be in business and ignore the Asia markets. Asia play bazaar holds huge potential for clubs hoping to expand their brand and business. There is incredible interests in the sport, the teams and the players. Our hope is that when someone in places like Korea, Japan or China thinks about American soccer, they think about the Galaxy. Right now we have the unique opportunity to expose the Galaxy brand to million of potential fans and ultimately customers, and we’re not going to waste it.
How can Galaxy maintain the same sort of profile when Beckham retires/leaves?
David is completely unique. His ability to produce on the field, create interest and and generate business off it, is hard to find.
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But we’re thinking of our next big move. We’ve set the bar pretty high with David but there will be other stars.
Can Beckham ever repay the investment made in him?
He already has. Some of it is quantifiable and some of it isn’t. But there is definitely a method to any perceived madness when it comes to the amount we have invested.
You will play FC Seoul in March…
We’re excited to come back to Seoul, Korea. The Galaxy played there in 2003 and it was a great experience on and off the field. It will be the first trip to Seoul of many of our players, including David Beckham, and they are looking forward to experiencing the wonderful football and culture of the country.
What about Beckham is different that the public’s preconceptions? What about him surprised you?
Apart from his family, soccer is really what he cares about the most. He understands the machine that swirls around him and he recognizes the responsibility that comes with it. Class player, class guy.
At first glance, the MLS has many similarities to the Korean league –same number of teams, similar attendances and no promotion/relegation. The last point is the subject of debate in Korea. How about the US? Can a league be strong without promotion and relegation?
There will not be promotion and relegation in MLS anytime soon. We are in sport that is still striving to succeed and our investors have enough to worry about without having to worry about their team not even playing in the highest division.
Kbc official website 