Being tied to the biggest FIFA scandal ever wasn’t a positive brand builder, either. In South America, the AFA was infamous for its infighting. Blazer received a lifetime ban from FIFA. government informant in 2013, was later convicted of racketeering, wire fraud, income tax evasion and money laundering, among other charges. He served as a FIFA vice president for 26 years until his death in 2014.Ī year later, FIFA claimed that Grondona had authorized a $10 million payment to former FIFA official Chuck Blazer, who, after becoming a U.S. Unlike Tapia, Grondona was not viewed as an ally for Argentina’s players, but rather a powerful international figure with deep ties to former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the organization’s executive committee. Grondona had public spats with Argentine legend Diego Armando Maradona, who often referred to Grondona as a “mafioso.” Its former president, Julio Grondona, who held power for 35 years, was a controversial figure with an authoritarian style of leadership. The AFA has long had a reputation for political corruption. Tapia is now as much a national hero in Argentina as any of the current world champion players. When Tapia took over and installed an executive committee, they made a historic decision to professionalize every area of the federation.” “I believe it was the most serious crisis in the federation’s history. “Before Tapia’s administration, a FIFA-led commission had intervened in the AFA during a serious institutional and financial crisis,” Petersen said. Petersen, who previously worked on the marketing side for Argentine clubs Rosario Central and Vélez Sarsfield, was brought on board by AFA president Claudio Tapia. (Photo: AFA)īut Petersen said that positioning the AFA brand to potential commercial partners has been challenging. (From left to right) Ahmed Abdelaal, CEO of Mashreq Bank, former Argentina international Javier Zanetti, and AFA chief marketing officer Leandro Petersen in Qatar during the World Cup. When the national team and the AFA’s senior delegation visit other countries to make their pitches, interest in partnering with Argentina is viewed as a unique business opportunity. Messi and his World Cup-crowned teammates are the face of the campaign. Poaching dual nationals is just one aspect of the globalization of the AFA. Over coffee, inside a busy meeting space at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami, Petersen explained the AFA’s sporting and commercial strategy for the U.S. If not, they’ll end up representing another country.” We’ll continue to track those players who leave Argentina at a young age. Argentina is going through a very serious and negative financial situation. “We believe that those types of talents will appear in the U.S. (Alejandro) Garnacho (Manchester United), Franco Carboni (AS Monza), players who have been brought up in Europe because they were born and raised in Europe, but they identify with Argentina. “We know that there are many players in the U.S. “Yes, that’s part of it,” said Leandro Petersen, the AFA’s chief commercial and marketing officer. In the long term, Argentina will do something that it has never done before: scout dual-national talent in the U.S. Each academy will be led by AFA coaches, who will train players and local coaches based on the latest Argentine football methodologies.
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