August 31, 2018 5976

The Puerto Rico Soccer League announced its goal to “professionalize and massify” soccer, with plans to invest some $200 million in 10 years to build multi-use sports venues throughout the island.

The investment will be split among partners Gustos Coffee, Lead & Play, Excelsior International, Pesquera & Asociados, Sadurni, Basalt Technologies, CUN, Playbook Management International and others.

The PRSL is expected to construct 10 stadiums with capacities of up to 5,000 fans. These stadiums will be multi-use since, they will be available for other commercial activities aside from soccer, like concerts, which will help maintain the stadiums economically viable, company officials said.

Each stadium will also have training grounds for the soccer club academy development activities.

So far, the towns that have reached agreements with the PRSL are San Juan, Dorado, Vega Baja, Cayey and Ponce. These municipalities will also be host to the six teams that will see action in these year’s PRSL Joe Serralta Excellence Cup IV, which will start Oct. 15. These clubs are: Academia Quintana; Club Deportivo Barbosa; Vega Baja FC; Dorado FC; Cayey CF, and Leones de Ponce CF.

The PRSL also announced an agreement with Spain’s first division soccer club, Club Athletic Bilbao, that will allow for the exchange of players between the organizations.