EVERYBODY SOWS SEED''''|SO DOES EDEN HAZARD

Eden Hazard kept busy during his injury recovery – by setting up a new football club in California.
Hazard , former Chelsea team-mate Demba Ba, Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye and Senegal international Moussa Sow have all bought a stake in a new team in San Diego.
The club kick off their existence next March in the North American Soccer League – their equivalent of the Championship.

Moussa Sow celebrates with Hazard

But Hazard and Co are far from silent investors.
The club’s Director of Football Ricardo Campos said: “It’s very easy for them to be involved with email, Skype and WhatsApp, but they’re very active professionals, playing at the world’s highest level. We share everything that’s happening. They’re fully involved with all the key decisions.


     “Most importantly, they’re involved with the basics of the team – what they want the club to be like. They want to build a bridge for young players to become professionals.”

     The four high-profile friends were on the lookout for an investment opportunity when Ba’s adviser, Alex Gontran, was alerted to southern California as an untapped market.
     San Diego has a bigger population than Birmingham, but is currently without a football club, although ex-Everton midfielder Landon Donovan has been looking to start a MLS franchise there.
     The quartet jumped at the chance earlier this summer and following the trails of Didier Drogba and Paolo Maldini who took on ownership roles with US lower league sides.


     “They shared the idea with each other and decided to do it.
     “They were looking for the right place and the US is a very easy target nowadays. San Diego was just standing out, as far as they concerned.”
     Starting from scratch is a major challenge, though – the club does not even have a name yet.
     A manager is expected to be appointed within the next two months, while the team will begin next season playing at the local university, before a 10,000-seat stadium is built by August.