In this episode we welcome a true architect of American soccer - Sunil Gulati.

Sunil is widely regarded as one of the most influential figure in the sport’s growth in the United States, having been involved in the administration of the game since the 1980’s and serving as president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 2006 to 2018.

With over 30 years of experience at every level of the game, Sunil continues to shape the future of soccer business. He is a senior lecturer in economics at Columbia University and Chairman of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body.

In this interview, Sunil looks at the growth of the game from the tough days of the 1980’s through the 1994 World Cup, the creation of Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League. He also gives us his thoughts on the prospects for USL and on the state of youth soccer.  It’s a wide-ranging interview and I am sure you’ll find many insights.

Before we get down to this interview - if you enjoy this podcast make sure that you are subscribed to our weekly newsletter - The Soccer Business. You can sign up for free at thesoccerbusiness.com