L.A. Galaxy, MLS sued over Robbie Keane signing

A sports agency has sued both the Galaxy and Major League Soccer, claiming it is owed $385,000 for helping bring Irish captain Robbie Keane to MLS last summer.

According to Reuters, the complaint, filed by Real Time International Ltd (RTI) in a Manhattan federal court, charges that the Galaxy and the league “exploited information” provided by the agency “without compensation” to complete Keane’s $5.7 million transfer from Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League

A spokesman for the Galaxy declined to comment, citing a team policy against discussing pending litigation. An MLS spokesman also declined to comment.

According to Reuters, the lawsuit alleges that a senior member of the Galaxy asked RTI for assistance in identifying a player the club could acquire within a 10-day period. Once RTI identified Keane, the club entered into talks with his London-based team. When the deal went through, RTI said it sought a percentage of the transfer fee for its assistance, but the Galaxy refused to pay.

Keane wound up playing eight games for the Galaxy last season, scoring three goals and assisting on the Landon Donovan score that beat Houston, 1-0, in last fall’s MLS Cup final. Keane, 32, has been even better this season, scoring 12 times in 23 games with the Galaxy, including what proved to be the game-winning goal in Friday’s victory over Colorado.

Keane, who signed a two-year deal with the Galaxy in August 2011, is guaranteed $3.417 million this season, making him the team’s second-best-paid player behind David Beckham.

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