Rothenberg Immerses Himself Further in MLS
Alan Rothenberg, whose collection of titles already rivals that of several European royals, added another Friday.
The president of U.S. Soccer, vice president of CONCACAF and founder of Major League Soccer now also can be called owner of the San Jose Clash.
Rothenberg and a group of partners that includes the Japanese advertising agency, Dentsu Inc., announced purchase of the MLS team from the league for what Commissioner Doug Logan said was “a figure in excess of $25 million.”
Also likely to be involved in the partnership is Peter Ueberroth, the former baseball commissioner and president of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee.
“Peter and I go back 17 years,” Rothenberg said Friday morning at an event promoting Sunday’s MLS All-Star game at the Citrus Bowl. “We’ve had a lot of discussions and I hope that by the time all the legal documents get signed, he will be part of our group.”
The once-bitten, twice-shy rule apparently does not apply in Rothenberg’s case. In fact, twice bitten, thrice shy isn’t a factor either.
The Clash will be the third soccer team with which he has had hands-on involvement. He was general manager of the Los Angeles Wolves in the late 1960s and owned the Los Angeles Aztecs from 1977-80.
San Jose, however, presents an opportunity to recoup the losses incurred in those earlier ventures.
“This was an opportunity that I had been looking at almost from the time we formed MLS,” Rothenberg said. “We’re doing this for two primary reasons. First of all, we have incredible confidence in the future of the league. We believe we’re on the right path and that in the near future we will take our rightful place as the fifth major sport in the United States and realize the vast potential that’s there.
“We also think that the Bay Area and San Jose is the perfect market. San Jose itself is the 11th-largest city in the United States--one of the least-known facts--and Northern California is the sixth-largest market.
“With the improvements that have taken place at Spartan Stadium [on the San Jose State university campus] . . . we now have a stadium that we feel is perfect in this country. We have always felt a stadium of 25,000 to 30,000 was ideal for soccer.”
Rothenberg’s group, which under the league’s single-entity structure will serve as investor-operator, will take over operation of the team after this season.
Rothenberg said Peter Bridgewater, the team’s general manager, and Brian Quinn, its coach, would not immediately be affected by the change in ownership. The Clash previously had been operated by the league.
“I look forward to the day when I can present the Alan I. Rothenberg trophy [for the MLS championship] to myself,” Rothenberg said.
That might take a while. The Clash is 8-13 and in last place in the Western Conference.
Already, two former U.S. national team coaches with ties to either the San Jose area, Rothenberg or both are being mentioned as possible future Clash coaches. Steve Sampson, who coached at Santa Clara University, is one. Bora Milutinovic, former coach of the U.S national team, is the other.
