Alan Isaac Rothenberg[1] (born April 10,1939) has a lengthy career spanning law,sports and entertainment,business and banking. He and his wife of 64 years,Georgina,a noted sculptor and jewelry designer,have lived in Los Angeles since his graduation from Michigan Law School in 1963. They have 3 sons and 6 grandchildren.
Among others he is known for his contributions to and influence on the growth of soccer in the United States. He is the namesake of the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy,which was awarded annually to the winner of the MLS Cup from 1996 to 2007. Rothenberg was president of U.S. Soccer,the governing body of American soccer,during the 1990s and oversaw the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1999 Women's World Cup in the United States and the establishment of Major League Soccer in 1996.
Rothenberg earned the FIFA Order of Merit in 2006.[2] Rothenberg was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition of his contribution as a "Builder" of the sport in the United States.[3]
Early career
Rothenberg was born in 1939 in Detroit,Michigan to Edward and Belle Rothenberg.[4] He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1963 where he finished top of his class. After law school,he moved to California and began working as a lawyer at the law firm of O'Melveny &Myers.[5] He was a fan and follower of traditional American sports.
Soccer
NASL
Rothenberg had no experience with soccer until the age of 28,when he came into contact with the nascent North American Soccer League while working as a lawyer for Jack Kent Cooke. Cooke,who owned several sports teams,had also acquired the NASL's Los Angeles Wolves,a short-lived team that lasted only until 1968.
Almost ten years after the folding of the Wolves,Rothenberg headed an investment group that bought the Los Angeles Aztecs,a newer club in the same league,but he sold the team after three seasons in 1980,thus escaping the later collapse of the league. Rothenberg later stated that his timing in buying the team had simply been wrong —"I mistakenly thought the time was right and three years later I realized that the time was wrong. I liked soccer,thought it was a great opportunity then,and thought it was now."[6]
U.S. Soccer
In 1984,Rothenberg was asked by Peter Ueberroth,the organizer of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,to take on the role of commissioner of soccer for the Olympic Games. The unexpected popularity of soccer that summer —including multiple sell-outs of the 100,000+ seat Rose Bowl —established before the world that an American audience for the game existed. The success of soccer at the 1984 Olympics,under Rothenberg's leadership,was a significant factor in FIFA awarding the United States in 1988 the right to host the 1994 World Cup.[5]
Rothenberg's success in the capacity of commissioner caused FIFA to seek out his services as director of the 1994 World Cup,which FIFA had decided award to the US. In 1990,with FIFA's backing,Rothenberg defeated the unpopular incumbent Werner Fricker in a landslide in an election for the Presidency of the United States Soccer Federation.[5] Rothenberg was then named Chairman of the World Cup 1994 Organizing Committee. Rothenberg pushed for the 1994 World Cup to be held in large venues.[5] Under Rothenberg's guidance,the 1994 World Cup was a major success. The tournament set records for attendance,with the 2.5 million attendance breaking the previous record by 1 million,and resulted in U.S. Soccer earning a surplus of more than $50 million.[7][5]
Fulfilling a promise to FIFA made as part of the World Cup bid,Rothernberg oversaw the establishment of Major League Soccer,the first fully professional U.S. outdoor league since the NASL. [8]Rothenberg was president of the U.S. Soccer Federation for two four-year terms until 1998,when term limits forced him to step down from the post. Rothenberg also Chaired the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup which was hosted by the United States and was the historic breakthrough event in women's sports. [9][10]
In 1998,Rothenberg headed a bid by the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu to buy the San Jose Clash of MLS,[11] but was forced to pull out at a late date due to the Asian stock market crisis.[12]
Basketball
Rothenberg was also an important figure in professional basketball for many years,first as an executive and legal counsel for the Los Angeles Lakers when they were owned by Jack Kent Cooke,during which he participated in acquiring first Kareem Abdul Jabbar and then Magic Johnson for the Lakers. Later he served as an executive and legal counsel of Donald Sterling's San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers[13] from 1982 to 1989,during which time he engineered the successful movement of the team from San Diego to Los Angeles without NBA permission. In the NBA he chaired the TV And Labor Committees.
In 2004 Rothenberg founded 1st Century Bank,a community bank with offices on the Westside Los Angeles area catering to entrepreneurs,small businesses and professionals.[9] Rothenberg is Market Chairman of the bank,which was acquired by Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank in early 2016.[20] Earlier in his career,Rothenberg was a co-founder (along with his then law partner Chuck Manatt) of First Los Angeles Bank,which was sold to City National Bank in 1995.[21]
in 2003 Rothenberg and Randy Bernstein formed Premier Partnership,a company that consults,values and sells sponsorships and naming rights for arenas,stadiums,entertainment facilities and other commercial properties. In 2022 Premier merged into Playfly Sports.
Rothenberg has also on several public corporate (Zenith National,Arden Realty,CPK and several community banks)and public boards,including current Chairman of the Los Angeles Tourism Board and past President of the Los Angeles Airport Commission and the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce as well as board memberships on the Los Angeles Sports Council,the Los Angeles Committee for the Olympic Games and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission. [22]
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is a full member of FIFA and governs American soccer at the international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the men's and women's national teams, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, youth organizations, beach soccer, futsal, Paralympic, and deaf national teams. U.S. Soccer sanctions referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States. The U.S. Soccer Federation also administers and operates the U.S. Open Cup and the SheBelieves Cup.
Bruce Arena is an American soccer coach who most recently served as the head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution.
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference Final. The MLS Cup winner is awarded the title of league champion.
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American former professional soccer player who is the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Widely regarded as one of the greatest U.S. players of all time, Donovan holds the world record for the man with the most international assists (58), and is tied with Clint Dempsey for the most international goals scored by a male U.S. player (57).
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges; secondary schools are governed by state-level associations, with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) setting the rules at that level. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.
Velibor "Bora" Milutinović is a Serbian former professional footballer and manager.
Jeffrey Alan Agoos is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender. He is one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team. Agoos served as the Sporting Director for the New York Red Bulls, and currently is the Vice President of Competition for Major League Soccer.
Clint Mathis is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward or midfielder. He appeared at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal. He also played in Major League Soccer for the MetroStars, where he scored five goals during a game in August 2000, a league record.
Panayotis Alexander Lalas is an American former soccer player who played mostly as a defender. Lalas is best known for his participation with the United States men's national soccer team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where his appearance made him a standout player on the team with his distinctive long beard and hair. After the World Cup, Lalas went on to become the first American in Italy's Serie A as a member of Calcio Padova.
Cobi N'Gai Jones is an American former professional soccer player and commentator. He is an analyst for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. He has also been seen on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Fox Sports, BeIN Sports, the Pac-12 Network, and as the host of the Totally Football Show: American Edition. In addition, during the 1990s, he hosted the health show Mega-Dose on MTV.
Paul David Caligiuri is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder.
Álex Mauricio Pineda Chacón is a retired Honduran footballer who played as a midfielder.
Christopher Clemence "Cle" Kooiman is an American former soccer defender. He played professionally in both Mexico and the United States including the first Major Indoor Soccer League, Western Soccer Alliance, American Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer. He earned twelve caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national soccer team in 1993 and 1994. He was a member of the U.S. team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Kevin J. Payne was an American soccer executive. He was the president and chief executive officer of D.C. United from 1994 to 2012, and the president and general manager of Toronto FC. He was also chairman of the technical committee and board member for the U.S. Soccer Federation and vice chairman of the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
The Greater Los Angeles area is home to many professional and collegiate sports teams and has hosted many national and international sporting events. The metropolitan area has twelve major league professional teams:the Los Angeles Dodgers the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Angels, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles FC, the LA Galaxy, the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Sparks, and Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is home to nine universities whose teams compete in various NCAA Division I level sports, most notably the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans. Between them, these Los Angeles area sports teams have won a combined 105 championship titles. Los Angeles area colleges have produced upwards of 200 national championship teams.
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP is a Los Angeles-based law firm of more than 450 attorneys and other professionals founded in 1965. The firm earned revenues of $316.9 million in 2017. Donna L. Wilson is the firm's Chief Executive and Managing Partner. On June 11, 2018, Manatt announced that Wilson had been elected to succeed William Quicksilver as the firm's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner. Wilson assumed the leadership role on July 1, 2019, at which time Quicksilver became the Managing Partner Emeritus.
The Philip F. Anschutz Trophy is a silver trophy that is awarded to winners of MLS Cup. Since the inaugural MLS Cup in 1996, three trophies have been used: the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy from 1996 to 1998, a second version of the Rothenberg Trophy from 1999 to 2007, and the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy since 2008. The trophy appears in the logo of the tournament, and was featured on the now-retired "scudetto" that was worn by defending champions from 2009 through 2012.
Sean Everet Johnson is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC and the United States national team.
The History of Major League Soccer began in 1988, when the United States Soccer Federation pledged to create a Division 1 professional soccer league as a condition to FIFA awarding the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the United States. Major League Soccer was officially formed in 1995. The league began play in 1996 with 10 teams, and in 1998 grew to 12 teams. MLS experienced some difficulties in its first seasons, with the league losing money in the early years, resulting in two teams folding after the 2001 season. MLS has rebounded since then, with increased attendance and the development of soccer-specific stadiums. With an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), and is the seventh highest attended professional soccer league worldwide. MLS currently has 29 teams, with further expansion to 30 teams planned with the addition of San Diego FC in 2025. As of 2023, MLS is the largest first division professional soccer league in the world by number of clubs.
Marla Messing is an American attorney and sports executive. She is known primarily for her work in soccer – first with the 1994 FIFA World Cup and as one of the first executives of Major League Soccer in 1995. In 1996, Messing became president and chief executive officer of the committee that organized the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Most recently, Messing served as the interim CEO of the National Women's Soccer League. From 2019 to 2021 she was the CEO of USTA Southern California.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
