Things to know about the Indian-American in race to succeed Blatter at FIFA

Sunil Gulati has been a strong critic of Blatter and in the recently held elections he voted for Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein

Ashok Gulati
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-73910p1.html?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Miro Vrlik Photography</a> / <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/editorial?cr=00&pl=edit-00">Shutterstock.com</a>
Debarghya Sanyal New Delhi
Last Updated : Jun 04 2015 | 4:40 PM IST
The name of Allahabad-born Indian American Sunil Gulati often figures among those in race to succeed Sepp Blatter as the president of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Here are a few things to know about Gulati:

Current role: Often referred to as the ‘most powerful man in American soccer’ Gulati is currently serving a record third term as the president of the US Soccer Federation (USSF), after a re-election in 2014. He lives with his son Emilio, daughter Sofia and wife Marcella in the New York City.

Also Read

FIFA panel: Elected to a four-year term on the FIFA executive committee on April 19, 2013, Gulati has been one of the strongest critics of Sepp Blatter. In the recent election, he and the USSF had voted for Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein.

Contribution to the game: The Indian-American has played instrumental roles in major USSF and FIFA events. He was on the US World Cup bid committee from 1986 to 1988 and helped take the event to the US for the first time. He was also the executive vice-president and chief international officer for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, he was on the board of directors for 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.

Many hats: Gulati currently represents USSF on the CONCACAF National Team Competitions Committee, and also serves the FIFA World Club Championship Committee and the FIFA Task Force for Clubs.

Earlier: He formerly was the president of Kraft Soccer for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.

Academic, too: He is also a senior lecturer in the economics department of New York’s Columbia University. Also an alumnus of the same university, he holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and an MA in Economics degrees.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 04 2015 | 3:06 PM IST

Next Story