Report: MLS is preparing for a lockout

The 2021 MLS season was supposed to be around the corner, but now that appears to be in jeopardy. According to Jeff Carlisle of ESPN, the league is preparing for a work stoppage.

Carlisle reported that MLS President and Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbot told teams to prepare for a work stoppage due to a disagreement between players and the league on a revised CBA.

If a lockout was to occur, it would be a historic one. It would be the first one in MLS history.

The disagreement between the league and the MLS Players Association stems from the league invoking a force majeure clause. After players made concessions in 2020, the league wants to once again revise the CBA.

MLS was able to invoke such a clause due to the financial hit that the league claimed to take in 2020. The league claimed it lost nearly a billion dollars last season.

On the other side of the table is the MLSPA who believes the league is just taking advantage of the players instead of invoking the clause out of necessity.

But it appears that for the first time in MLS history, a work stoppage is about to occur. With the 2021 season already up in the air, fans should be concerned about what happens next.