Bernd Kammerer / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chuck Blazer, the man credited with pushing US soccer onto the world stage, has died at age 72, according to his lawyer.
Blazer — a longtime FIFA executive and leader for CONCACAF, the North American, Central American, and Caribbean soccer alliance — made millions as he turned Major League Soccer into a booming business in the US and its national team into a World Cup mainstay. In 2015, he was banned from FIFA permanently as a corruption scandal unfolded across world soccer's leaders.
"His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck's positive impact on international soccer," his attorney Mary Mulligan said in a statement. "With Chuck's guidance and leadership, CONCACAF transformed itself from impoverished to profitable, with substantial benefits and improvements to all member associations, players and fans."
LINK: Mr. Ten Percent: The Man Who Built — And Bilked — American Soccer
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