What They're Saying: Alan Rothenberg

“They gave the rights to the host country, and the host country basically ran the whole thing. Here, everything is done in-house by FIFA. So it’s been a really long and arduous process. The terms have been incredibly difficult for cities to cope with.”

-- Alan Rothenberg, who served two terms as U.S. Soccer president (1990-98) and oversaw the organization of the 1994 World Cup as chairman of the local organizing committee, on the difference in how FIFA organizes the World Cup today. FIFA's control over the tournament's organization will eliminate a local organizing committee like that which existed in 1994 and generated a surplus of more than $60 million that was turned over to what became the U.S. Soccer Foundation. (AP)
2 comments about "What They're Saying: Alan Rothenberg".
  1. R2 Dad, June 16, 2022 at 12:01 p.m.

    The world cup is now what the olympics became, a poisoned chalice. Hosting countries become overburdened with FIFA requirements, part of which is the requirement that FIFA operate tax-free. This has to stop, or FIFA will only find middle eastern sponsors. Once politicians can no longer eat prestige or extort corporations, this will change. But not before 2026; the US/Mexico/Canada are stuck with these terrible T&Cs.

  2. Derek Liecty, June 16, 2022 at 3:34 p.m.

    Alan is absolutely correct.  However, not until more of the FIFA Mafia people are put in jail will this problem end.
    Derek Liecty, Executive Secretary
    San Francisco Bay Area Host Committee, World Cup 1994

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