“The guy that bought New York City FC, interestingly enough, he also bought Manchester City,” said Commisso. “The guy that bought the Red Bulls, he also has a team in Germany. He’s accepting and he’s done very well by the way. [RB Leipzig] moved from the third to the second to the first division. It worked out very well.

“Why couldn’t it work out the same way here? In my opinion, that’s probably the number one reason why American soccer has failed professionally in this country. This is an administered game, an Americanized type of game and American rules as opposed to international rules of how soccer should be played. It’s an international game.”

The Cosmos currently compete in the North American Soccer League (NASL), a second-tier professional soccer league.

The United States Soccer Federation classifies professional soccer competitions into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.

Division I consists of Major League Soccer, home to the New York Red Bulls, who play in Harrison, N.J., and New York City FC, who play at Yankee Stadium.

Division II contains NASL and the United Soccer League.

There are no sanctioned Division III leagues currently.

“All the teams that made investments in Europe including the most recent ones — the Chinese, the Indonesians, the Americans in England and so on — they all understood how the game was played,” said Commisso. “Nobody guaranteed them that as a result of making a multi-hundreds of million-dollar investment … that they may not get relegated tomorrow.

“Typically, when you go into business like I do, you accept competition as being part of the game and you have to compete. Here, competition is administered by some god up there that says it is what it is and that’s the way it’s going to be … Look, I’m not ready to delve into this because I’m sure that in less than 24 hours all of the shotguns will be after me.”

Commisso referenced the new expansion MLS side Minnesota United and how the team was only allowed to enter the MLS due to their wealth. He alluded to the fact that because the team lost its first two games 5-1 and 6-1 respectively, that they aren’t quite competitive enough for the league.  

Last season, Minnesota United finished 5th in the NASL combined playoffs standings with a total of 41 points, compared to the Cosmos’ league-leading 65 points.

Under a promotion/relegation system, the Cosmos would have been promoted to MLS for winning the league, while Minnesota United would have stayed in NASL.

However, because Minnesota United was able to secure a $150 million soccer-specific stadium and pay a hefty expansion fee, it was allowed to join MLS.

For the Cosmos to make the jump to the MLS under the league’s current rules, they would need a soccer specific stadium that is much larger than their current home at Coney Island’s MCU Park, the longtime home to the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Rumors have circulated about a stadium being built in Flushing, Queens near Citi Field where the New York Mets play.

In addition to fielding questions from the press, the Cosmos 2017 squad was introduced, the team showcased their new kits and team representatives articulated the team’s expectations for the upcoming spring and fall seasons.

The Cosmos have won eight NASL championships, including last season, and three times in the last four years.

The Cosmos are one of the most storied franchises in sports history, having been led by Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, who is undeniably regarded as the greatest athlete to ever play the Beautiful Game.

Other notable players include Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia and West German defender Franz Beckenbauer.

The team kicks off its home opener on April 1 at 7 p.m. against Miami FC.

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