An old feud between Tim Howard and Brad Friedel surfaced this week, and it could get ugly.
In his new autobiography “The Keeper”, Howard claims Friedel tried to derail his 2003 transfer from Major League Soccer’s N.Y./N.J. MetroStars to Premier League club Manchester United, according to ESPN. Friedel is demanding an apology for what he calls “complete garbage.”
The dispute centers around Howard’s pursuit of a work permit, which he needed to sign with Manchester United and play professionally in the United Kingdom. Howard lacked the U.S. national team experience that was necessary to automatically qualify for one, and he sought the support of U.S. Soccer heavyweights to help his ultimately successful appeal.
“The legal team at Manchester United… told me that Brad hadn’t merely refused to sign a statement on my behalf, he had actively tried to block my transfer,” Howard wrote. “He’d written to the appeals committee suggesting that I shouldn’t be given a work permit at all.”
Friedel, 43, furiously denies Howard’s claims and is considering taking legal action.
“It’s complete garbage,” Friedel told ESPN on Wednesday. “To be honest with you, all we’re looking for is an apology. We can’t get the book reprinted. I’m not looking for monetary gain, I just want an apology.
“There is no letter,” continued. “I never sabotaged and I never stood in the way of Tim Howard getting a work permit. This is ludicrous.”
“I don’t want to litigate against a fellow professional, against a fellow American and a goalkeeper,” he said.
“I’ve seen Tim quite a few times over the last 10 years. Never once has he ever turned his shoulder or not said hello or anything, so to all of a sudden put this crap in a book, that’s showing a lot of bravery. I don’t get it.”
Howard and Friedel have had more success and longevity in England’s Premier League than any other American player. It almost didn’t turn out that way, and we’re only starting to find out why.
Howard named U.S. Soccer’s athlete of the year for 2014 >>
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Photo via Twitter/@ESPNFC
