New York City FC is "very committed" to Major League Soccer.
That's the point MLS Commissioner Don Garber made clear in an interview with SportsIllustrated.com, published on Sunday in the wake of the recent news that English international Frank Lampard had extended his stay with English Premier League club Manchester City and will not be with NYCFC from the start of the MLS season. The news disappointed many of NYCFC's supporters, who expressed their opinions on social media.
“I could understand why their fans are unhappy, and I do believe [NYCFC] will work hard to build back that trust,” Garber told SI.com. “They’ve started that process already."
"You’re dealing with a very unusual set of circumstances," Garber added. "Frank has become one of the most important players in Man City’s season, and he’s scored critical goals to have them tied for first place in the Premier League."
Lampard has scored five goals in 15 league appearances, including two match-winners and a late equalizer against his former club Chelsea earlier in the season. This past New Year's Day, just after news broke about his extension at the Etihad Stadium, he scored a second-half winner in a 3-2 win over Sunderland. He went 61 minutes for City in their FA Cup win on Sunday.
“We need to work hard now to move forward and recognize that Frank will be joining this team in July along with other Designated Players, who throughout the history of the Designated Player program have almost always joined in July," Garber said, noting the midseason arrivals of the likes of David Beckham and Thierry Henry.
“I think it’s important to say this: These guys [NYCFC] are very committed to MLS and committed to New York," Garber said. "They have made an unprecedented investment in MLS and New York City, and they are going to continue to do so.”
Also in the SI.com article, Garber rejected the concern raised by some that NYCFC would be looked at as a kind of farm club for Manchester City, and talked about the recent reports about Liverpool FC legend Steven Gerrard joining an MLS club.
