Friday, March 29, 2024

​U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has no plans to step down

SoccerNews in General Soccer News 13 Oct 2017

471 Views

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has no plans to step down following the national team’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

United States missed out on a place in the finals for the first time since 1986 as they were stunningly beaten 2-1 by Trinidad and Tobago, while Panama and Honduras claimed wins over Costa Rica and Mexico respectively.

Head coach Bruce Arena resigned on Friday and Gulati has come in for heavy criticism in the wake of the loss in the Caribbean.

While he has not decided whether to run for re-election in February, Gulati confirmed he has reached out to people in recent weeks about endorsing or nominating his potential candidacy.

Speaking on a conference call, Gulati said: “I don’t plan to resign. [But] it’s not the right day for me to talk about my personal future plans in terms of the federation presidency.”

Asked why it would be right for him to stay on as president for another four years, Gulati replied: “I don’t think that’s a decision that you or I get to make, it’s a decision that people who get to vote make.

“If I look at the totality of what we’ve done and where the game is generally now, with our professional leagues, with player development, with our economic resources – all of those things – those things didn’t happen overnight and they didn’t happen on their own.

“So if you look at all of that, I’ll make a decision and the voting delegates will make a decision.”

The USA’s quest to get through to Russia via the CONCACAF Hexagonal got off to a rough start under Jurgen Klinsmann and ultimately fell short under Arena.

Gulati said he understands those who believe he should not be in position to make coaching appointments but, pressed further on why he is staying put, he responded: “We’ve got a lot of things on our agenda, including a [2026] World Cup bid that’s due at the end of March and a decision in June.”

Gulati ran unopposed in his first three campaigns, but he should not expect that luxury this time around, as multiple candidates have said they will run against him in 2018.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top