Coffee & Football

Patrik Arnesson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Forza Football, the Swedish football tech company behind the worlds' second biggest football app, Forza Football. On their main app they have over 5 million downloads and 3 million monthly active users, and cover over 420 leagues worldwide. They also have a newer app that serves as a tool for football clubs to monetize on their content, something which all clubs currently struggle with. Football Addicts’ mission is to democratize football and put football in the hands of the fans. Please joins us as we discuss Patrik’s journey, from a disgruntled 21-year old startup CEO servicing traditionally driven brands to creating one of the most innovative and sought-after football tech companies in the world. We touch on things such as how to democratize football, what a 93-year old Japanese sushi master can teach app developers and company founders, why company boards don’t make sense, implementing a bottom-up decision making process versus a typical hierarchical pyramid model, saying "no" to $10 billion, closing the doors on prestigious venture capital firms, drinking coffee at Gothenburg’s finest coffee shops, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Born and raised in Milan, Italy, at age 15 Claudio Storelli moved to the US as an exchange student. By the age of 20 he graduated from Stanford University with honors and as an NCAA Soccer Division 1 runner-up. By 23, Claudio had graduated with honors from Columbia Law School, and joined McKinsey & Co. as a management consultant. In 2010, he joined Bloomberg LP, where he became the COO of a $1B Enterprise Technology division. To say that he is an ambitious overachiever is an understatement. Please join us as Claudio take us through his journey, from distinguished Ivy League schools to the hallways of some of New York’s most prestigious companies to running a soccer startup—that carries his name, how could it not?—in Brooklyn, NY. This is a conversation jam-packed with valuable insights, business learnings, and recommendations for those with an idea. We discuss his life and business philosophies, how he got the idea to start a business after playing games with bruised up Wall Streeters, the best cold call he ever made, rubbing shoulders with Mike Bloomberg, seeing Waney Rooney unknowingly wearing Storelli gear in the Premier League, what the navy seals taught him, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jim Trecker is considered one of the most prominent communications and public relations professionals in US Soccer history. He has been involved as a journalist, administrator and communications maven at all levels of the game, working for the NY Cosmos during the Pelé era, the Washington Diplomats when Johan Cruyff played there, the US Soccer Federation in the 1990’s, the Japanese Federation, and the organizing committees of the 1994, 2002, 2010, and 2022 World Cups. Most recently he has been involved with the build out of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, TX. Join us as we discuss his journey from Connecticut to the top echelons of world football. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Originally from Abilene, Texas, Bundrant is one of the most prominent football executives hailing from the US. After graduating from West Virginia University, VA, he initiated his career with DC United of the newly started MLS with an unpaid internship. That laid the foundation for an over 20 year career at the very top of global sports business. After stints at Sportfive, one of the most recognized sports rights agencies, GMR Marketing, a sports engagement and experiential agency with clients including VISA, FIFA, and the Miller Brewing company, to name a few, he was named the Head of Commercial Partnerships at Liverpool Football Club in 2008. After a successful five seasons in North West England, he ventured further south when being named the Commercial Director & Head of International Business Development at AS Monaco - a team then purchased by the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev who was looking to take the entity to the very top of European football, by acquiring players such as Falcao, James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho, Anthony Martial, Eric Abidal, among others. The glory days lasted until Monaco was caught under the rules of Financial Fair Play, which brought Bundrant back to the US and Relevant Sports, a Stephen Ross company that owns, manages, and operates all aspects of the International Champions Cup. Currently, as the CEO & Founder of Riviera Sports Marketing, Bundrant focuses on building brand value, generating commercial revenue, and growing sponsorship opportunities for an international clientele of companies, ownerships groups, and individuals involved in sports business. Please join us as Bundrant delves into his journey, from humble beginnings in the West Texas farmlands to the top echelon of world football. We discuss what it takes to make successful team investments and acquisitions, negotiation tactics, Liverpool’s Champions League glory days, striking multimillion dollar sponsorship deals, rubbing shoulders with Russian billionaires, learning French at 40, accomplishing ambitious goals, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the Head of Media, Marketing, and CRM at Arsenal Football club, Micheal Leavey has the overall responsibility for the club’s commercial growth ambitions. He has been with the club for over 8 years and until recently was the General Manager of the club’s media business.Leavey was formerly CEO of 10Duke Software, an advanced social media application platform working with leading global brands and broadcasters. Prior to this he was Managing Director at Mondus, a $300 million European B2B software procurement company. He has over 12 years online experience covering all aspects of social media, online brand development and effective monetization strategies.Please joins us as Michael takes us through his journey and dives into the inner workings of the commercial side of Arsenal Football Club. We discuss the team’s global marketing strategy, the key target markets, bringing an increasingly global fan base closer to the club, the challenges that all top club’s share, the important role CRM plays, exchanging insights with rivals, taking pictures in China as well as outside the Emirates Stadium with fans who think he is Arsene Wenger (they do resemble one another), and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nacido y criado en Barcelona, Joan Laporta es uno de los ejecutivos y presidentes de club más influyentes y reconocidos de la historia del fútbol. Aficionado del Barça de toda la vida, Laporta empezó a estar vinculado profesionalmente al club cuando lideró “Elefant Blau”, un grupo del que también formaban parte Albert Vicens, Jordi Moix, Alfons Godall y Albert Perrín, todos ellos futuros directivos del club, que promovieron una moción de censura contra el entonces presidente de la entidad, Josep Luis Nuñez, que no prosperó.Antes de las elecciones de 2003, Laporta formó su propia candidatura juntando a un grupo de jóvenes y exitosos empresarios de la ciudad. Gracias a que introdujeron un toque de modernidad, tácticas innovadoras de management, nuevas tecnologías y sobre todo, gracias al apoyo de Johann Cruyff, la candidatura triunfó. La etapa de Laporta como presidente, 2003-2010, es sin lugar a dudas la etapa más exitosa de la historia del club. Durante su presidencia, el Barça ganó 12 títulos, incluyendo 4 ligas, 2 Champions, el Mundial de Clubes y la maravillosa temporada del sextete, en la que se ganaron los 6 títulos disputados durante la temporada 2008/2009.En esta conversación, Laporta nos habla sobre su vida y trayectoria profesional, una historia que comenzó en Barcelona un 29 de junio de 1962. Tocamos temas tan variados como la vida en Barcelona durante los 60 y 70 bajo la dictadura de Franco, la transición de dictadura a la democracia en España, la influencia de su padre, el proceso que le hizo ganar las elecciones y convertirse en presidente del Barça, la idea de poner Unicef en la camiseta, sus primeros recuerdos de Messi, el apoyo de su consejero personal Johann Cruyff, La Masia, cómo se expresan el poder, el ego y la vanidad dentro de un grupo de directivos, y mucho más. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Grant Wahl is a Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated and a Correspondent on FOX Sports. He is by many considered the top American soccer journalist. He has interviewed and done numerous memorable and acclaimed pieces with some of the biggest names in world soccer, ranging from Jose Mourinho to David Beckham to Lionel Messi. Grant is also a New York Times best-selling author with The Beckham Experiment, a book launched in 2009 which chronicled David Beckham’s first few years as an MLS & LA Galaxy player. He recently announced the launch of his latest book, Masters of Modern Soccer, that will hit the shelves in Spring 2018 - it is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Join us as we discuss his journey and go in-depth on his work at Sports Illustrated and FOX Sports, We touch on his first cover story, Who’s Your Daddy?, that put him on the map and landed him at Oprah, studying under John McPhee, the legendary Pulitzer Price winning writer, at Princeton University, interviewing superstars, his fascination with interview technique, working with Beckham and his people, traveling to away games with Boca Juniors’ hardcore fans, his admiration for Alexi Lalas and Landon Donovan, the early Freddy Adu story that added perhaps even more pressure on the young phenom, all that and much more. Follow: Twitter @GrantWahl Facebook @GrantWahl Instagram grant_wahl See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Martin Jacobson, known to many as “Coach Jake”, is the Coach of the Martin Luther King Jr., High School in Manhattan, the most successful team in New York City history and one of the top ranked programs in the country. The team consists of highly talented kids from underprivileged inner-city areas and immigrants mostly from West Africa, Caribbean, and South America.  Coach Jake took charge of MLK, or “Horror High” as some tabloids called it at the time, in 1994 and started to discover talent among students who had recently arrived to the country. He is as known for his off the field work as he is for winning titles, 16 NYC championships in the past 20 something years and counting, he is relentless in his pursuit to create a better life for “his kids” - goes above and beyond to help them and do what he can to make sure they have the most necessary needs, food on the table, a place to live, immigration status in order, and general support. There have been many stories and profile pieces on Coach Jake throughout the years, from the cover of the New York Times to 60 Minutes, with the most recent, a full length documentary, “Coach Jake”, premiering at the Urbanworld Film Festival in NYC on September 21, 2017.  In Part II we delve further into Jake’s personal perspectives, discussing his life’s work, the MLK program, and The Coach Jake Foundation that helps young players with everything from immigration papers to college placement. We also touch on being diagnosed with Hepatitis C, fear of death, working with Hollywood, the feature film that’s been in the works for the past 10 years, inequalities between “rich area” and “poor area” schools, the failed political system, Alex Ferguson, his obsession with winning and how it resembles the highs of drugs, and much more. To Follow The Coach Jake Foundation http://www.thecoachjakefoundation.org/ Coach Jake documentary, info & trailer https://www.coachjakedoc.com/ Facebook @CoachJakeNYC Instagram coachjakenyc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Martin Jacobson, known to many as “Coach Jake”, is the Coach of the Martin Luther King Jr., High School in Manhattan, the most successful team in New York City history and one of the top ranked programs in the country. The team consists of highly talented kids from underprivileged inner-city areas and immigrants mostly from West Africa, Caribbean, and South America.  Coach Jake took charge of MLK, or “Horror High” as some tabloids called it at the time, in 1994 and started to discover talent among students who had recently arrived to the country. He is as known for his off the field work as he is for winning titles, 16 NYC championships in the past 20 something years and counting, he is relentless in his pursuit to create a better life for “his kids” - goes above and beyond to help them and do what he can to make sure they have the most necessary needs, food on the table, a place to live, immigration status in order, and general support. There have been many stories and profile pieces on Coach Jake throughout the years, from the cover of the New York Times to 60 Minutes, with the most recent, a full length documentary, “Coach Jake”, premiering at the Urbanworld Film Festival in NYC on September 21, 2017.  Join us as we discuss his journey, starting from Long Beach, NY, as a second generation immigrant, to going through years of drug addiction, crime, and personal tragedies, to becoming one of the most well-respected, successful, and beloved coaches on the NYC football scene. We touch on his upbringing, being arrested for the first time at 10 years old, learning football from a Holocaust survivor, his secrets of spotting talent, immigration, hippie trips out west, selling LSD to the Ford Motor Company assembly line workers, heroin addiction, facing 20 years in prison, the moment that became his turning point, and much more.    To Follow The Coach Jake Foundation http://www.thecoachjakefoundation.org/ Coach Jake documentary, info & trailer https://www.coachjakedoc.com/ Facebook @CoachJakeNYC Instagram coachjakenyc See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Known as the The Rocky Balboa of Criminal Defense Law, The Devil’s Advocate, and The War Machine, Joseph “Joe” Tacopina is a New York City based criminal defense lawyer and the Owner & President of Venezia Football Club in Italy.  Representing some of the most high-profile cases and clients including the NYPD, Alex Rodriguez, Jay-Z, Victoria Gotti, and Lillo Brancato, among many others, Tacopina has earned himself the reputation as one of the toughest, most fearless, and prominent attorneys in the country.  In 2011, he formed part of an American consortium of investors who purchased A.S. Roma, making it the first foreign owned team in Italian football, and becoming the Vice President and Vice-Chairman of the board of directors. In 2014 he became an owner and Chairman of Bologna F.C., a position he held for a brief period before purchasing Venezia F.C. in October 2015. At the time, the team was in the 4th division and only two seasons later, after gaining consecutive promotions, the team is now in Serie B. Tacopina, a relentless work horse and optimist, is very clear about his mission, he won’t stop until the team has reached the Serie A, won the Scudetto, and become a European top club.  In Part II we delve deeper into the inner workings of Venezia FC and how Tacopina envisions to build the business and the brand. We touch on the world of buying, managing, and building football teams, his obsession with the Real Madrid model, how power and vanity among high-profile executives affects organizations, the main criminal defense cases that put him on the map, juggling his law practice and running a football team while raising five kids, and much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Known as the The Rocky Balboa of Criminal Defense Law, The Devil’s Advocate, and The War Machine, Joseph “Joe” Tacopina is a New York City based criminal defense lawyer and the Owner & President of Venezia Football Club in Italy.  Representing some of the most high-profile cases and clients including the NYPD, Alex Rodriguez, Jay-Z, Victoria Gotti, and Lillo Brancato, among many others, Tacopina has earned himself the reputation as one of the toughest, most fearless, and prominent attorneys in the country.  In 2011, he formed part of an American consortium of investors who purchased A.S. Roma, making it the first foreign owned team in Italian football, and becoming the Vice President and Vice-Chairman of the board of directors. In 2014 he became an owner and Chairman of Bologna F.C., a position he held for a brief period before purchasing Venezia F.C. in October 2015. At the time, the team was in the 4th division and only two seasons later, after gaining consecutive promotions, the team is now in Serie B. Tacopina, a relentless work horse and optimist, is very clear about his mission, he won’t stop until the team has reached the Serie A, winning the Scudetto, and becoming a European top club.  Join us as we discuss his journey, starting from very humble beginnings in Brownsville, Brooklyn, one of the toughest neighborhoods in the United States, to becoming one of the most notorious criminal defense attorneys in history. We touch on his upbringing, daily street fights, boxing training, working the toll booths at the Battery Tunnel and coat-check at a shady nightclub in Westport to make ends meet, investing in undervalued football assets, making Venezia FC a global brand, rubbing shoulders with the Mayor, working with Pippo Inzaghi, and much more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the Managing Director of the Americas, which includes South, Central, and North America, Arno Trabesinger has the overall responsibility for the club’s growth ambitions across commercial partnerships, sponsorships, marketing, the foundation, and the academies in the region. The ultimate goal is to make Barça the most recognizable brand and most global sports team in the world. Originally from a small town in Austria, Arno started his career with Weirather-Wenzel & Partner S.L, WWP, one of the most prominent marketing & sponsorship agencies in Europe with clients including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Formula 1, Red Bull, Emirates, and Moto GP, to name a few. Arno remained with the company for 17 years, rapidly rose through the ranks, opened their Barcelona office, and became the Managing Director, before being lured by F.C. Barcelona’s current President, Josep Bartomeu, to join the club as the top leader of the Americas and opening the NYC office. Join us as we delve into his career, and dive into the inner workings of the most celebrated club in world football, F.C. Barcelona. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christian Fuchs is a former Austrian National Team Captain who plays as a left back for Leicester City in the English Premier League.  He started his professional career with SV Mattersburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, after playing the 2008 Euro Tournament with Austria, he joined the German club VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga, from there he moved onto Mainz 05 for a season, and Schalke 04 for five seasons, before landing at Leicester City in 2015.  Join us as we discuss his journey and go in-depth on his life and career, from small-town beginnings in Austria to becoming the most unlikely of Premier League champs - Leicester City winning the Premier League is considered the biggest upset in sports history. In this second part of our conversation, we delve further into Christian’s personal perspectives, touching on things such as Leicester’s incredibly successful Champions League campaign making it all the way to the Quarter-Finals before narrowly losing to Atletico Madrid, the charismatic team Chairman & Owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who commutes by helicopter to the King Power stadium and stops by the locker room before every game to chat with the players, the decision to retire from the National Team at age 30, the role his wife plays in running his off the pitch endeavors, his relation to money and fame, and much more. Accomplishments  78 Caps, 1 goal Austria National Team, 2006-2016 DFL Supercup champion in Germany with Schalke 04, 2011  Premier League champion with Leicester City, 2015-16  To Follow Twitter @FuchsOfficial, @NoFuchsGivenLtd, @FoxSoccerAcadNY  Instagram fuchs_official Website www.nofuchsgiven.com  YouTube NoFuchsGiven Facebook @fuchslfanseite See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christian Fuchs is a former Austrian National Team Captain who plays as a left back for Leicester City in the English Premier League. He started his professional career with SV Mattersburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, after playing the 2008 Euro Tournament with Austria, he joined the German club VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga, from there he moved onto Mainz 05 for a season, and Schalke 04 for five seasons, before landing at Leicester City in 2015. Join us as we discuss his journey and go in-depth on his life and career, from his small-town beginnings in Austria to becoming the most unlikely of Premier League champs - Leicester City winning the Premier League, with odds of 5000-1, is considered the biggest upset in sports history. We delve into his playing career from the early days when he wasn’t considered good enough for his youth team, to playing 7 years in the Bundesliga, eventually ending up in the Premier League and becoming one of its main profiles, both on and off the pitch. His family lives in NYC, which means that constant commuting between Leicester and New York is part of his everyday life, he looks forward to joining them (and perhaps the MLS?) once his contract in England is done. This profile also touches on his post-career thoughts, his entrepreneurial ambitions, the “No Fuchs Given” brand, the soccer academy that carries his name, and much more. Accomplishments 78 Caps, 1 goal Austria National Team, 2006-2016 DFL Supercup champion in Germany with Schalke 04, 2011 Premier League champion with Leicester City, 2015-16 To Follow Twitter @FuchsOfficial, @NoFuchsGivenLtd, @FoxSoccerAcadNY Instagram fuchs_official Website www.nofuchsgiven.com YouTube NoFuchsGiven Facebook @fuchslfanseite See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pia Sundhage is a world-renowned coach and former professional player. Most recently she was the National Team coach for Sweden from 2012 to July 2017 who she lead to an Olympic silver medal in 2016.  Prior to that she was the US National Team coach from 2007 to 2012, winning consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, and as a result, earning the FIFA World Coach of the Year Award in 2013.  In this second half of our conversation, we delve further into her personal perspectives, discussing things such as inequalities between the women’s and the men’s game, her thoughts relating to fame, feminism, money, the possibility of one day coaching a men’s team, declining invitations from the White House, twice…all that and much more! Accomplishments: Playing • 146 Caps & 71 goals with Sweden National Team • 4 times Damallsvenskan champ, top Swedish league • 4 Swedish Cup titles • Euro 1984 gold • World Cup bronze, 1991 • 6th place in the voting for FIFA Women’s Player of the Century, 2000 Coaching • China National Team Assistant Coach, 2007 • US National Team Coach, 2007-2012 • Sweden National Team Coach, 2012-2017 • 2 Olympic golds with USA, 2008 & 2012 • Olympic silver with Sweden, 2016 • World Cup silver with USA, 2011 • Euro 2013 bronze with Sweden • FIFA World Coach of the Year, 2012 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pia Sundhage is a world-renowned coach and former professional player. Most recently she was the National Team coach for Sweden from 2012 to July 2017 who she lead to an Olympic silver medal in 2016.  Prior to that she was the US National Team coach from 2007 to 2012, winning consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, and as a result, earning the FIFA World Coach of the Year Award in 2013.  Join us as we discuss her journey and go in-depth on her life and career, from a small-town beginning in Marbäck, Sweden, to becoming one of the most accomplished coaches in the world. A pioneer in the women’s game, she made her National Team debut at 15-years old and has remained at the elite level ever since. When she was a young girl, the only girl in town playing soccer, her coach changed her name to “Pelle”, a boy’s name, so she would be allowed to play on a "real" team. We discuss leadership, coaching styles in different cultures, her reaction when she was approached to coach the best team in the world at the time, the U.S. National Team, and how it came full-circle when asked to be the coach of the Swedish National team in 2012, fulfilling her life-long dream. Accomplishments: Playing • 146 Caps & 71 goals with Sweden National Team • 4 times Damallsvenskan champ, top Swedish league • 4 Swedish Cup titles • Euro 1984 gold • World Cup bronze, 1991 • 6th place in the voting for FIFA Women’s Player of the Century, 2000 Coaching • China National Team Assistant Coach, 2007 • USA National Team Coach, 2007-2012 • Sweden National Team Coach, 2012-2017 • 2 Olympic golds with USA, 2008 & 2012 • Olympic silver with Sweden, 2016 • World Cup silver with USA, 2011 • Euro 2013 bronze with Sweden • FIFA World Coach of the Year, 2012 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kyle Martino is a retired professional player with a career that was cut short at 28 years old due to multiple serious injuries. He represented the Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy in the MLS, as well as the US National Team. After being forced into early retirement, and realizing he wasn’t going to achieve his dream of playing in the World Cup, he decided to get as far away from soccer as possible, which led him to an unexpected position at a Wall Street firm, right in the lead up to the 2008 financial crisis. He realized banking wasn’t for him and eventually found his way back to the game, via ESPN and Fox Sports to his current position at NBC’s Premier League coverage. Today he is considered one of the most prominent analysts in the country. Join us as we discuss his journey and go in-depth on the studio job, the behind the scenes and amount of preparation that goes into it, and what it’s like to be the only American on the show. We delve into his playing career from the early days at University of Virginia to becoming the MLS Rookie of the Year and being called into the National Team. This profile also touches on the post-career depression he suffered from for years, his admiration for players such as Landon Donovan, Claudio Reyna, and Clint Mathis, trials in Europe, and what it’s like to be a team owner - together with his friends Steve Nash (retired NBA player) and Stu Holden (retired Premier League & US National Team player, now studio analyst on FOX Soccer) he invested in Real Mallorca of the Spanish Second Division. All that and much more! Accomplishments: 8 Caps US National Team, 2002-2006 MLS Rookie of the Year, 2002 Follow: Twitter @kylemartino Instagram kylemartino See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dennis Crowley is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Foursquare, a location based tech company that is used by more than 50 million people monthly across 100 countries. Previously, he founded Dodgeball, one of the first location-based mobile social services (acquired by Google in 2005). In 2015 he founded Kingston Stockade Football Club, a soccer team out of Hudson Valley, NY, that plays in the 4th tier of US Soccer. Joins us as we discuss his journey from a small-town beginning in Medway, Massachusetts, to becoming one of the tech industry’s star entrepreneurs. And today also, the owner of a semi-professional sports team. Dennis touches on his passion for building things, the state of smaller teams & leagues in US Soccer, and the ongoing promotion/relegation debate. He also shares multiple insights on how to create successful startups, turning “ideas over beers” into realities, managing teams, and a step-by-step tutorial for anyone wanting to start a soccer team. All that and much more! Follow: Twitter @dens Instagram dens Support: http://www.stockadefc.com/ Read: Dennis’ phenomenal blog posts on how to start and manage a soccer team. PART 1 “So, Let’s Build A Professional Soccer Team From Scratch …” http://bit.ly/2ls3fTV PART 2 Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Operating a Division 4 Soccer Club (But Were Afraid to Ask) http://bit.ly/2kAzmiL See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David Downs is one of the most prominent executives in US Soccer history with a career spanning over three decades. Today his involvement with the game is mainly spent coaching youth teams just north of NYC in Westchester County.   Most recently he served as the Commissioner of the NASL (North American Soccer League) through its first and second seasons in 2011 and 2012. Prior to the NASL he spent more than 30 years in the broadcast industry as an executive with both ABC Sports and Univision Communications. During his time at both networks, Downs successfully led negotiations with the very top leadership at FIFA to acquire the U.S. television rights to every World Cup from 1994 through the 2014 tournament.  In 2009 he was named the Executive Director of the USA bid Committee to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups - a bidding process where the US in the end lost out to Russia and Qatar.   We discuss his journey from the early days working as an Olympic Researcher at ABC traveling around the world pre-internet days asking participants about their personal details, to running the programming department and negotiating for major sports rights together with Bob Iger, the current CEO of the Walt Disney Company, to leading the US bidding process for the FIFA World Cup.  David takes us through the fascinating details of the bidding process, building the team on a shoestring budget, aligning with lobbyists, FIFA’s insane demands, the disappointment and aftermath after losing out to Qatar, negotiations with Sepp Blatter, working with the infamous Chuck Blazer who later was implicated in the biggest corruption scandal in soccer history, all that and much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ibrahim Ba is a retired professional player with a career spanning over 17 years. Teams included Le Havre, Bordeaux, AC Milan, Perugia, Olympique Marseille, Bolton Wanderers, Cayku Rizespor in Turkey, and Djurgården in Sweden. Currently he is working on completing the final stages of the elite level coaching license. We discuss his upbringing in Senegal and the poor suburbs of Paris, becoming a professional at Le Havre, the legendary AC Milan team coached by Fabio Capello, receiving recruitment calls from Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Arsenal, being cut from the French National Team a few weeks before the 1998 World Cup they ended up winning, playing with Zidane, Sam Allardyce’s management style, racism, and much more! Accomplishments Serie A Champion with AC Milan 1998-99 Italian Cup winner with AC Milan 2002-03 Swedish Champion with Djurgårdens IF 2005 Swedish Cup Winner with Djurgårdens IF 2005 8 Caps France National Team See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jimmy Conrad is a retired professional player with a career spanning over 13 years. Teams included San Jose Earthquakes, Kansas City Wizards, Chivas USA and a brief, albeit fascinating spell, at Lech Poznań in the Polish top Ekstraklasa league.  After retiring in 2011 due to multiple concussions, he became a leading soccer media personality and helped grow KICK TV, the largest independent YouTube soccer channel, where he was the main host to over 1M followers. Apart from recently launching his own company - Radical Creative Group, which collaborates with multiple creative endeavors - he also manages and produces all content for his YouTube Channel, The Jimmy Conrad Show, with nearly 70k devoted subscribers.  Join us as we discuss his journey from humble beginnings in Temple City, CA, a small working class town outside of Los Angeles. From the pivotal moment when he was barely picked for College Soccer to being selected to the US National Team. This MLS legend also touches on facing multiple rejections, the state of the MLS today, and his brush in with Russian mobsters in Poland. Jimmy’s amazing story highlights post World Cup depression, being fooled by mischievous agents, and much more!  Accomplishments: 27 Caps US National Team, 2005-2010 5 times US National Team Captain 4 times MLS Best XI MLS Defender of the Year, 2005 NCAA Champion with UCLA, 1997 Follow: Twitter @JimmyConrad Instagram @jimmyconrad YouTube TheJimmyConradShow Snapchat cimmyjonrad Facebook jimmyconradsoccer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alejandro Guido is an American professional player who plays for Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles (Xolos) in Liga MX, the top league in Mexico. He has represented the U.S. National Team at the U17, U18, U20, and U23 levels. Born in San Diego, CA, in 1994, Alejandro grew up on both sides of the border. He currently lives in San Diego which means that he commutes and crosses the border every day to get to practice and games. Club Tijuana is a team with a unique story that was founded less than 10 years ago in a city that has typically been associated with drug cartels, violence, corruption, and immigrants from different parts of South- and Central America passing through to cross the border to the U.S. Alejandro stopped by for a coffee while he was in New York at the Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival representing and promoting the film, Club Frontera, that tells the story of Club Tijuana and the impact it has has had in reshaping the city and society of Tijuana. It received the Golden Pencil, awarded each year to the best film at the festival. We discuss Mexican-American identity, dual cultures, crossing one of the most trafficked borders in the world every day to get to work, Liga MX & the MLS, World Cup dreams, the best spot in Tijuana for tacos, and much more! Contact: Tweet @aeguido, @Xolos | Instagram alejandroguido See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Originally from Paris, France, Jérôme is one of the most prominent football minds in the U.S. After graduating from Amherst College, MA, he started his career on Wall Street, which laid the foundation for a long and successful career in finance. His passion for the game has kept him involved in multiple different roles, as a player, coach, referee, executive and director. In 2002, Jérôme was named to the board of directors of AS Monaco FC, and in 2008, he became the president of the club, the first non-Monegasque to hold the position. In 2012, he was appointed General Manager och the New York Red Bulls. In addition to holding coaching and referee licenses, he is the Chairman of the Rush Soccer Organization, the largest youth soccer organization in the world, and he sits on the board of trustees of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Currently he keeps himself busy as an advisor to buyers and sellers of teams around the world, and in building up the next great ski resort in the country. We discuss U.S. soccer, what’s needed for the MLS it to reach its full potential, being named president of AS Monaco & the GM of the New York Red Bulls, how fame may affect team owners and investors, the privilege of having access to L’Équipe during college thanks to his friend Prince Albert, Thierry Henry’s greatness, and much more. Contact: Tweet @JdeBontin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Declan Hill is an investigative journalist and academic. He specializes in the study of organized crime, match-fixing, and international issues. He was the first journalist to break the story of Asian match-fixing gangs linked to the multi-billion dollar gambling markets destroying international football in his book ‘The Fix: Soccer & Organized Crime’. It has now become a best-seller in 21 languages. In 2013, he published the academic version ‘The Insider’s Guide to Match-Fixing’. They're both fantastic reads, available on Amazon. Before publishing ‘The Fix’ Hill completed documentaries on the killing of the head of the Canadian mafia, blood feuds in Kosovo and ethnic cleansing in Iraq, among many other things. Declan takes us through the intriguing inside story of match-fixing and corruption in the game. We discuss everything from the inner workings of the Southeast Asian organized crime gang he infiltrated in 2006 to the key players today running an industry at times estimated at over $1 trillion to the process and methodology applied to fixing matches ranging from youth games to the World Cup & Olympics. Contact Website: declanhill.com Twitter: declan_hill See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Heath Pearce is a recently retired player with a professional career spanning over 10 years Today he is a media profile, working as a presenter, creator and host on KICK, one of the largest independent football channels on YouTube with over 1.4 million subscribers and over 200 million views. Heath takes us through his incredible life and career journey, starting from humble beginnings in Modesto, CA, to the US National Team Residency Program at IMG in Florida and then to the pivotal moment when he became a professional player at Nordsjalland, in the Danish Superliga, followed by Hansa Rostock in the German Bundesliga. He returned back to the US to play for FC Dallas, Chivas USA, New York Red Bulls, and the Montreal Impact in the MLS and then ventured back to Scandinavia to finish his playing days with IFK Gothenburg in Sweden. Directly after his career as a footballer, Heath transitioned into media and journalism. He gives us some insights into why he decided to end his career at the ripe old age of 31 to follow a different passion and how invigorated and excited he feels in his current role at KICK. We also discuss being cut from Youth National Teams, the Olympics, and the 2010 World Cup, working as a mascot and cleaning windows to save money for a flight to try his luck in Europe, trust issues with coaches and people in positions of authority, transfer sagas, working in front of the camera, the football media landscape, and much more! Contact: Tweet @HeathGPearce | Instagram heathpearce | YouTube www.youtube.com/user/kick See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bakary “Baky” Soumare is a former professional player with a career spanning almost ten years, he represented MLS teams Chicago Fire, Philadelphia Union, Montreal Impact and FC Dallas, US Boulogne in Ligue 1 & 2 (France), and Karlsruher SC in Germany.  Currently he is the Chairman of PITCH Concepts, a company he founded during his playing career that develops high-end outdoors living spaces in major cities around the world.  We discuss being an illegal immigrant in NYC, mental health, delivering pizza for Domino's at age 15, downside of traditional approaches to education, juvenile detention, African Cup of Nations, Cuhautémoc Blanco's greatness, and much more! Accomplishments • Nominated to MLS Defender of the Year and named to the MLS Best XI in 2008 • MLS All Star Team, 2009  • Drafted as the second overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft • 12 Caps Mali National Team, 2009-2010  Contact: Tweet @BakySoumare | Instagram bakysoumare See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bruce Grobbelaar is a former Zimbabwe international footballer who is most known for his time at Liverpool FC between 1981 and 1994. Born in South Africa, Grobbelaar grew up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), before moving to Canada and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL in 1979. He gained Liverpool's attention during a loan spell at Crewe Alexandra during the 1979–80 season, and signed for the club in 1981. Making 628 appearances for Liverpool over the next 13 years, including 440 in the League, he won the League championship with the club six times, as well as three FA Cups, three League Cups and the 1983–84 European Cup. Grobbelaar left Liverpool for Southampton in 1994, transferred to Plymouth Argyle two years later, and thereafter played for an assortment of English lower-league teams, never for more than a few games. He is currently the Goalkeeper Coach for Ottawa Fury FC of the North American Soccer League since 2014. In this episode, Bruce takes us through his life and career journey from his early days in the Rhodesian army during the Bush War to becoming one of the most iconic players of Liverpool FC and the English League. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anton is a Swedish media personality and football player who in 2011 gained global attention when he came out as gay. He was the first high-profile Swedish footballer to make the announcement and the second active professional player in the world to come out, after English footballer Justin Fashanu in 1990. Anton was born in Liverpool in 1990, where his father Glenn Hysén, was playing for Liverpool FC, winning the league title that same year. We discuss homophobia in the game, the big announcement, the unexpected attention from all corners of the world, the locker room environment, indecent proposals, TV gigs, winning Dancing With The Stars, Liverpool FC fandom, and much more! Contact Anton: Tweet @antonhysenoffic | Instagram antonhysen | Email mika@mikas.se See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Erik Stover is the Chief Operating Officer of the New York Cosmos. Originally from Williamsport, PA, Erik is one of the most prominent sports executives in the country with a career spanning over 20-years. He has been in senior management positions with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (Giants Stadium and Izod Center) and Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, he was also the President/Managing Director of the New York Red Bulls for three and half years. While working for Red Bulls, Erik oversaw the construction and operation of Red Bull Arena, a $200 million state-of-the-art stadium in Harrison, NJ. He also recruited Thierry Henry to the MLS in 2010. When he left the Red Bulls in August of 2011, they had risen from the bottom of the MLS in attendance to #4, which included 150% increase in season ticket holders. For his work at RBNY, he received the 2010 MLS Executive of the Year Award. Currently he is the Cosmos' top acting executive. A team that returned to the pitch in 2013 after nearly a 30-year absence. The club has since won the title twice in three seasons. In this episode, Erik takes us through his career journey starting as an intern of volunteers to then climbing the corporate ladder and becoming one of the most influential sports executives in the country. We discuss the ins and outs of running a major organization, the business drivers, leadership, negotiating with Darren & David Dein ex Vice-Chairman at Arsenal, building stadiums, and much more! Contact Erik: Tweet @ErikStoverNYC | Visit: nycosmos.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Angus is the VP of Content at Perform Group, the parent company of Opta, the world’s leading sports data provider. A native of Scotland, Angus has been with Opta since late 2010 and has vast experience working with leagues, governing bodies & federations, broadcasters, sponsors, digital media and other associated rights holders. He leads Opta’s soccer business in North America across all media (broadcast, print, digital). Angus is a sought-after speaker, who headlines panels at Sloan Sports Analytics Summit, IMG’s Sports Media and Technology Conference and IVY Sports Symposium, among many others. Opta has made massive strides in the US market in recent years and they count ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC, Univision, BeIn Sports, Telemundo and Time Warner as customers on the media side. They also have an official partnership with Major League Soccer and work with a number of MLS Clubs and the league’s Head Office on performance analysis, recruitment and scouting. Angus is also a Visiting Lecturer in Analytics of Global Sport, which is part of the Sports Management graduate program at Columbia University, New York. In this episode, Angus takes us through the ins and outs of analytics and data in football. We discuss the basics of how the data is collected, which isn’t how most people think it’s done, the different applications of it, the types of people working with data and the special skills they possess. Angus also discusses how teams apply data and analytics to scouting and how some even hire data analysts before a coach is brought in to build the team, and whether or not “moneyball” exists in football. All that and much more in the fourth episode of Coffee & Football. Contact Angus: Tweet @gusmcnab | Visit optasports.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, the third in the series, Dax speaks about his life and career journey, from his upbringing in Florida to where he is today as the captain of the New York Red Bulls, living in downtown Manhattan. At 29 years old he is a veteran of the league, playing in his 11th MLS season. He is one of the most experienced, well respected, and considered by many to be one of the finest players in the league, who should have an opportunity to be part of the US National Team. We discuss leadership, being named Captain at DC United at just 23 years old, the players that inspire him, what he’s learned from Thierry Henry, what it means to become the Team Captain on a team that has typically been associated with big stars and high expectations, and his experiences being traded as a young player. Dax also goes into the details of the Red Bulls’ playing system, its unique style, and the importance of entertaining fans, as well as his thoughts on the US National Team, not being selected after Jurgen Klinsmann took over from Bob Bradley, his personal life in New York City and much more. To follow: Twitter: @DaxMcCarty11 , @NewYorkRedBulls Instagram: @daxmccarty Sound clips credit: Red Bulls Radio on Tune In See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Remy is a FIFA licensed Players’ Agent and the Founder of Remington Ellis Management. In this second episode, Remy takes us through the intricacies of being a players’ agent, we discuss his journey from starting as a ticket sales rep at Madison Square Garden and New York Red Bull, to running multi-million dollar events at Vice Media, to how he decided to leave it all behind and follow his dream of becoming an agent. He started with no players, no money, and zero knowledge of what to do with the FIFA agent license, to where he is today, managing some of the top talents and biggest stars in the country. He takes us through the specific steps he took in building his business, Remington Ellis Management, what his day to day looks like, the types of marketing deals he makes for his players, and how he even helps them to manage their online presence. Furthermore, we discuss his negotiation technique, the key characteristics needed to become a successful agent, and the details of the 3 years of negotiations it took to bring Marcos Senna, the former Spanish International & 2008 Euro champ, from Villarreal to New York Cosmos. All that and much more! Players managed by Remy, among others: Mix Diskerud, New York City FC & US National Team Lloyd Sam, New York Red Bull & Ghana National Team Kwadwo Poku , New York City FC & Ghana National Team Connor Lade, New York Red Bull Jack Harrison, New York City FC Amando Moreno, Xolos de Tijuana (Liga MX) Jamison Olave, Real Salt Lake To follow: Twitter: @reminkton Instagram: asapremy Website: remingtonellis.com To learn more about podcast & subjects: coffeeandfootball.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alecko is the Assistant Coach of the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Prior to joining the Cosmos he was the Youth Technical Director at Philadelphia Union. He is a former MLS professional having played for D.C. United, Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA, and the Los Angeles Galaxy. In this episode, Alecko takes us through his amazing career journey, from his early days as the biggest talent in New Jersey through the ups and downs of his professional career, to how he was selected by DC United as the number 1 ranked player in the 2003 MLS Superdraft, a top team where his team mates included players such as Hristo Stoichkov, Marco Etcheverry, Jaime Moreno, and a young Freddy Adu, to winning the MLS Championship and being called for the US National Team, to being traded and playing for 4 different clubs in a year, to his very unfortunate and early retirement due to multiple concussions, the last one caused by a clearance from Thiago Silva in a game against AC Milan. We also discuss his coaching career ambitions, the importance of his Armenian background, the influence of his father, Andranik Eskandarian, a legendary player having played in the World Cup for Iran, and next to legends Carlos Alberto, Beckenbauer, and Pele in the NY Cosmos, and the innate hunger and determination that drives him every day. Furthermore, Alecko shares a few amazing anecdotes, one including an ice-cream loving Hristo Stoichkov. And much more. To follow: Twitter: @alecko11, @NYCosmos Instagram: alecko11 Career Achievements: Playing Number 1 pick in 2003 MLS Superdraft 136 MLS games, 36 goals MLS Cup Champion, 2004 MLS Cup MVP, 2004 MLS All Star, 2004 & 2006 MLS Supporter’s Shield (regular season champion), 2006 1 Cap U.S. National Team Hermann Trophy winner, best college player, 2002 Coaching NASL Soccer Bowl Champion 2013 & 2015, Assistant Coach, NY Cosmos, National Premier Soccer League National Champion 2015, Head Coach, NY Cosmos B To learn more about podcast & subject: coffeeandfootball.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A long-form conversation hosted by Sebastian Alvarado with guests including players & ex-players, club & league executives, media personalities, corporate brand directors, investigative journalists, agents, and thought leaders. Each week Sebastian delves deep into the lives, careers, and personal perspectives of some of the most interesting and influential profiles involved in the game both on and off the pitch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.