Donovan Stays With San Jose

NEW YORK (Wednesday, December 18, 2002) - Major League Soccer and Bayer Leverkusen announced today that an agreement has been reached that will allow forward Landon Donovan to remain with the League's San Jose Earthquakes through the end of the 2004 MLS season.

Donovan had previously signed a two-year co-sharing agreement that gave the Bundesliga club the right to recall the 20-year old star at the end of the 2002 season. Leverkusen had initially exercised their right to retain Donovan at the conclusion of the 2002 season, but at Donovan's request, new negotiations were scheduled between MLS, Bayer Leverkusen and Donovan's agent, Richard Motzkin of SportsNet.

"The rapid improvement of MLS and the open-mindedness of Bayer Leverkusen have given me a chance to pursue my professional goals while making a contribution to the growth of MLS and American soccer," said Donovan. "I'm proud that I can remain part of the San Jose Earthquakes, and I owe a tremendous amount of thanks to MLS, Bayer Leverkusen and Richard Motzkin for their efforts in making this happen."

As in the first arrangement between MLS and Bayer Leverkusen, Donovan's new deal provides the German club an opportunity to repurchase the young forward's contract at the conclusion of the 2004 season. Should Leverkusen exercise that option and later transfer Donovan to another club, MLS would receive a percentage of any transfer fee collected. The agreement provides that if Leverkusen fails to exercise its option to repurchase Donovan's contract at the end of the 2004 season, MLS has the option to retain Donovan on a long-term contract.

"I would first like to thank everyone at Bayer Leverkusen for their cooperation in this process," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "Their progressive approach to negotiations and the innovative nature of this agreement speaks volumes about their respect for MLS and the quality of our League. I'm very proud that Landon will have the opportunity to inspire the future generations of American soccer players on a regular basis through performances they can watch live in stadiums around the country."

Since joining the Earthquakes in March of 2001, Donovan has risen to the forefront of American soccer and pop culture, leading San Jose to the MLS Cup Championship in his first season and spearheading the U.S. National Team's shocking run to the World Cup Quarterfinals this past summer in Korea. In the past year his image has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine, while his return from World Cup success was met with an ESPY (Best Male Soccer Player) and appearances on MTV's Total Request Live, the Late Show and a spot with some of his World Cup teammates in Vanity Fair magazine's Hall of Fame issue.

As a 16-year-old, Donovan became one of the youngest Americans ever to sign a professional contract overseas when he joined Bayer Leverkusen in February of 1999. After nearly two whole seasons with the club, Donovan's desire to return stateside prompted a unique agreement between MLS and Bayer Leverkusen that allowed the Redlands, California native to join the Earthquakes for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

At the international level, Donovan proved his world-class talent at the 2002 World Cup in Korea, starting in all five matches for the United States and scoring two goals. During the tournament he played a total of 435 minutes at four different positions (left midfield, right midfield, center midfield, and forward) and netted the game-clinching goal in a historic 2-0 win over rival Mexico in the Round of 16. Donovan also keyed a strong U.S. effort during a 1-0 loss against Germany in the quarterfinals. In 2002, he was the only player to appear in all 19 U.S. matches, scoring six goals and notching two assists. For his efforts, Donovan was named the Honda Player of the Year in October, beating out veteran teammates Claudio Reyna and Brad Friedel in a nationwide vote conducted by 277 soccer journalists.

Major League Soccer begins its eighth campaign on Saturday, April 5, 2003, when the defending MLS Champion Los Angeles Galaxy face the reigning U.S. Open Cup Champion Columbus Crew live on ABC Sports.

Quotes from those involved in today's announcement:

Landon Donovan - Forward, San Jose Earthquakes, U.S. National Team

"Words can't express how happy I am today. I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to continue playing in the United States, and I plan to take full advantage of it in order to help raise the profile of MLS and the sport of soccer in this country."

Ivan Gazidis - Deputy Commissioner, MLS

"The fact that Landon will be staying in MLS makes a bold statement about his desire to take our sport to an entirely new level in this country. It also demonstrates his confidence in both the quality of MLS competition and the future of professional soccer in this country. We are very thankful to Bayer Leverkusen for allowing Landon to continue pursuing his personal and professional goals with us."

Richard Motzkin - Principal & Founder of SportsNet, LLC

"I'd like to first give credit to both Bayer Leverkusen and MLS for working hard to find a solution that benefits everyone and accommodates Landon's true wishes. As Landon has consistently stated following the 2002 World Cup, his desire is to stay in MLS to continue to develop as a player, person and spokesman for the sport of soccer in the U.S. By foregoing significant financial gains in Germany to stay in the U.S., Landon continues to demonstrate both his true character and why he has become American soccer's most visible spokesman and icon today. Landon's desire to promote the League and sport makes this without a doubt one of the most significant signings in MLS history."

Johnny Moore - General Manager, San Jose Earthquakes

"This is a great day for our club. We are thrilled to have Landon back with the team. The league has again demonstrated that it is committed to keeping and developing the best young American talent."

Frank Yallop - Head Coach, San Jose Earthquakes

"Landon has been a very important part of our team for the past two seasons. We are excited to have him on the team for the next two seasons as we continue our quest to bring more championships to San Jose."

Reiner Calmund - General Manager, Bayer Leverkusen

"We are excited to have reached yet another arrangement that confirms our long-term interest in developing some of America's best young talent. This co-sharing agreement reflects the growing relationship between Bayer Leverkusen and Major League Soccer."

Ilja Kaenzig - Director of Sport, Bayer Leverkusen

"We have decided that Landon will stay with the San Jose Earthquakes and MLS for an additional two years. As a key player for both San Jose and the United States Men's National Team, we're confident he is remaining in an environment that will continue his development as one of the world's elite talents."

Klaus Toppmoeller - Head Coach, Bayer Leverkusen

"Of course I would have loved to have Landon back with our team this season. As we saw at the World Cup this summer, Landon is obviously one of the most exciting young players in the world. However, in the best interest of all the parties involved, we feel it will be best for Landon to remain in the United States where he can continue to develop and promote the game and MLS as American soccer's icon.

Rudi Voeller - Head Coach, German Men's National Team, 2002 German World Cup Team

"Landon's performance in Korea this summer proved without a doubt that he belongs among the world's best. I have seen firsthand how his play has helped elevate the game in the United States and players of his caliber will certainly inspire the next generation of American players."