"From there, Rothenberg was named commissioner of soccer at the 1984 LA Olympics, then headed up the US committee that ran the 1994 World Cup, while also serving as US Soccer president from 1990 through 1998. His work with Fifa to host the World Cup in 1994 is directly responsible for the creation of Major League Soccer (MLS), whose championship trophy bore his name from the league's founding in 1996 until 2007."
"Next year, Rothenberg will release a new book. The Big Bounce: The Surge That Shaped the Future of US Soccer is a chronicle of his time in positions of power as soccer grew in popularity in the United States. He spoke with the Guardian about his history in the game, the influence of big business on sports, why Americans have gravitated to soccer, and how Fifa's efforts at political influence have changed over time."
Alan Rothenberg rose from legal work under Jack Kent Cooke to key leadership roles that transformed U.S. soccer. He served as commissioner of soccer for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, chaired the U.S. committee that staged the 1994 World Cup, and led U.S. Soccer as president from 1990 to 1998. Negotiations with FIFA to secure the 1994 World Cup enabled the founding of Major League Soccer in 1996 and inspired the league's original championship trophy name. A forthcoming book, The Big Bounce, recounts his time in soccer leadership and perspectives on business, fandom, and FIFA's political influence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]