Alan Isaac Rothenberg was born on April 10,1939 and has a lengthy career spanning law, sports and entertainment, business and banking.
21 Facts About Alan Rothenberg
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Alan Rothenberg is the namesake of the Alan I Rothenberg Trophy, which was awarded annually to the winner of the MLS Cup from 1996 to 2007.
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Alan Rothenberg was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition of his contribution as a "Builder" of the sport in the United States.
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Alan Rothenberg was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan to Edward and Belle Alan Rothenberg.
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Alan Rothenberg graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1963 where he finished top of his class.
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Alan Rothenberg was a fan and follower of traditional American sports.
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Alan 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.
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Almost ten years after the folding of the Wolves, Alan 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.
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In 1984, Alan 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.
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The success of soccer at the 1984 Olympics, under Alan Rothenberg's leadership, was a significant factor in FIFA awarding the United States in 1988 the right to host the 1994 World Cup.
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In 1990, with FIFA's backing, Alan Rothenberg defeated the unpopular incumbent Werner Fricker in a landslide in an election for the Presidency of the United States Soccer Federation.
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Alan Rothenberg was then named Chairman of the World Cup 1994 Organizing Committee.
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Alan Rothenberg pushed for the 1994 World Cup to be held in large venues.
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Under Alan Rothenberg's guidance, the 1994 World Cup was a major success.
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Alan Rothenberg was president of the US Soccer Federation for two four-year terms until 1998, when term limits forced him to step down from the post.
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Alan Rothenberg 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.
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In 1998, Alan Rothenberg headed a bid by the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu to buy the San Jose Clash of MLS, but was forced to pull out at a late date due to the Asian stock market crisis.
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Alan Rothenberg was 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.
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In 2004 Alan Rothenberg founded 1st Century Bank, a community bank with offices on the Westside Los Angeles area catering to entrepreneurs, small businesses and professionals.
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Alan Rothenberg is Market Chairman of the bank, which was acquired by Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank in early 2016.
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Alan Rothenberg has on several public corporate 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.