Soccer-'Barca Miami' make bid for MLS franchise

MIAMI Oct 15 (Reuters) - Two-times European champions Barcelona officially lodged their bid for a Major League Soccer franchise on Wednesday in a joint venture with a Bolivian-born businessman.

The North American league invited bids for two expansion slots for the 2011 season and the Spanish club has linked up with Marcelo Claure, owner of Miami-based wireless communications firm Brightstar, to produce a bid for the Florida city.

If successful, the new club would be the first MLS team to be owned by a European club.

"This is a very important day in our club's 109-year history," Barcelona president Joan Laporta told a news conference in Miami.

"This is an opportunity to penetrate the U.S. market. We are a global brand and it is important to present in the American market and in the sport in America.

"We needed to find the right partner and the right place and we have done so in Marcelo Claure and Miami," he added.

Miami, which has a huge Hispanic community, had an MLS team, the Fusion, in the early days of the league between 1998 and 2001 but they played in neighbouring Fort Lauderdale lost their slot when they league contracted in size.

Claure said he was sure that the planned club, who will play at Florida International University's new 21,000 capacity stadium in Miami, would have a much brighter and longer future.

"We have partnered with the greatest football club in the world, we have the stadium ready to go and we have the finances in place. We have all the ingredients to create one of the most successful franchises in the MLS," he said.

If the bid is accepted, the new franchise will be a 50-50 joint venture between Claure and Barcelona and is likely to reflect the Spanish club's involvement in its name, Claure said.

Although no decision will be made on a team name until after the MLS have named the successful bidders, Claure used the name 'Barca Miami' in conversation with reporters before checking himself.

MLS currently has 14 teams with Seattle joining in 2009 and Philadelphia in 2010. The league plans to add two more sides for the 2011 season although the Miami bid is asking for the chance to enter a year earlier.

The deadline for applications for the two slots is on Wednesday. A number of cities, including Atlanta, Portland, St. Louis, Vancouver and Ottawa are expected to bid for franchises.

(Editing by Miles Evans)