The New York Red Bulls acted quickly to issue a denial of an SI.com report claiming the club was for sale.

Now, the Commissioner has stepped in.

In a conversation with the New York Daily News, Don Garber issued a strong denial of his own, saying he “can absolutely assure that the club is not for sale.”

“Both the owner and management team in Austria and New York are as committed as ever to Major League Soccer, the club and their fans,” Garber said.

The statement echoes the Red Bulls stance that said, in part, that “There are no plans to sell the New York Red Bulls.”

SI.com reported the club’s potential sale Wednesday afternoon, citing sources claiming their Austrian ownership would unload their investment (in short time), including the the sale of its club, and all of its infrastructure — including the $220 million Red Bull Arena — for $300 million. That dovetails nicely with similar reports of duress over financial woes within the Austrian ownership stemming from their investments in global soccer and other sports interests across the board.

While the backing of Garber will certainly add credibility towards the Red Bulls’ denial, it is worth noting that as the league head, it is also part of his function to protect their investors. Remember; Garber also issued a denial of the sale of Chivas USA prior to their eventual turnover.

That, of course, is not to discredit Red Bull or the league at large. Rather, it is to shed light on the functionality of all parties involved. SI have made their claim, while Red Bull and MLS repudiate the substance of their story — and that is where it stands.