David Beckham has revealed the name, badge and colours of his Miami-based MLS expansion team.
Club Internacional de Futbol Miami, or Inter Miami CF for short, will make their MLS debut in 2020.
Last week we wrote that Pink is the new Black and it would seem that Beckham and his board of backers agree.
With pink and black as the base colours for a circular badge with two herons creating an “M” shape with their linked feet, the crest also references Beckham’s familiar squad number with 7 rays of sunlight adorning the eagerly awaited club crest.
There’s something that reminds us of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in the classic Miami style of the badge, but according to owner and president Beckham, the inspiration lies elsewhere.
Beckham stated;
“I always gravitated to the old South American crests, the logos and the colours – that’s the one thing I felt really needed to go into this logo.
“We are a new team, but we are a city with a lot of history. That’s what we wanted to create with this crest.”
The badge feels like something befitting a modern Florida based club and naturally, the name of the expansion team invites support from Miami’s vibrant and diverse populous with a strong Latin American flavour and love for the game of football.
Managing owner Jorge Mas adds:
“Our city and our fans draw their strength from the dreams of a global population that calls Miami home. It is only fitting that our name pays tribute to the inclusiveness that makes us who we are.”
However, it is the name of the club, or at least the shortened name of the club which feels a little contrived and lacking in credibility.
Inter Miami just feels like a crow-barred attempt to inject a European identity into an MLS club in the same way Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City feel like names for 5-a-side teams.
It’s way to close to Inter Milan and whenever global football fans try to say “Miami” after “Inter,” muscle memory will surely kick in and they will instinctively speak the words “Inter” and “Milan.”
Beckham’s old employers at AC Milan may not be too happy either.
The full name, Club Internacional de Futbol Miami is certainly an improvement on MLS fore-runners Miami Fusion who lasted three seasons before disbanding in 2001.
Football clubs earn nicknames over time and perhaps “CIFM” would have been a better short name for the club, particularly as “Miami International” has already been taken by the city’s airport.
Modern, with a South American flavour, there’s much to admire about the crest, full name and colours of MLS’ latest adventure in Miami.
We just feel that that the closeness in name to the Nerazzuri of Inter Milan will lead to many a commentary slip between now, 2020 and beyond.
Sartorial Soccer 