Mel Brennan has witnessed the complexities of global football from various perspectives. He states, “I know what the World Cup looks like from the 17th floor of Trump Tower … I know what it looks like from a grass-strewn field in Trinidad where children cannot play because money that was supposed to maintain it went somewhere else entirely,”
During his tenure as an executive at Concacaf, Brennan experienced the tumultuous era under its notorious former president Jack Warner and the late general secretary Chuck Blazer, who notably operated the organization from Trump Tower.
In addition to his executive role, Brennan served as a confidential informant for investigative journalists and law enforcement, shedding light on the deep-rooted corruption that plagued the organization for years. His memoir, titledFixing Football, has recently been published.
In his book, Brennan expresses a sense of hope, writing, “Football survived Sepp Blatter,”
A recent conversation with Brennan delved into FIFA, Concacaf, and the sport’s future.
Concacaf and the 2015 Scandals
Brennan was not taken aback when law enforcement conducted raids on a Zurich hotel and Concacaf’s Miami headquarters in 2015, leading to multiple indictments of FIFA and Concacaf officials. He recalls, “It survived Jack Warner. It survived Chuck Blazer. And it will survive Gianni Infantino.”
Despite having an inkling that something significant was occurring, Brennan admits he never expected accountability for Concacaf leaders. He explains, “Wait – we’re not quite ready” According to him, the close ties among these individuals created a barrier to accountability, stating, “the institution said this now lets’s really dig in to see if this is true or not and if it is not true why didn’t they tell us the truth?”
When asked if he was surprised by Concacaf’s central role in the 2015 scandals, he replied, “Well, yeah, let’s get them in the car and get them off …” He pointed out that while other confederations were led by capable individuals, Concacaf lacked such leadership, which made the exposure of their misdeeds unsurprising.
Enablers of Corruption
Brennan acknowledged that enablers were present within Concacaf, stating, “In a larger sense, all of us were enablers.” He articulated that the media played a crucial role, suggesting that the lack of rigorous investigative journalism contributed to the environment of corruption. He remarked, “Often folks would want to maintain access and instead of doing investigative journalism … it was more reporting and more like Pravda rather than ‘the institution said this now let’s really dig in.’”
He emphasized the broader impact of the corruption, explaining, “The cost was that people didn’t gain access to sporting opportunities [they were entitled to].” He lamented that the rise in football’s financial potential should have fostered greater access, especially for women in sports.
Reflections on Leadership
Brennan discussed the roles of significant figures like former US Soccer president Sunil Gulati during this period, noting, “The role that Sunil played … felt more like him being a World Bank guy.” He criticized the lack of action taken by US Soccer against the corruption while he was present.
He recounted an unsettling incident at a Concacaf conference in Miami, where he observed a group of women leaving the hotel at an early hour. “There were more than 15 and less than 30 [women]. All from the same floor. You feel like you want to call somebody because maybe you are crazy.”
When asked about any changes at FIFA since his time, Brennan noted, “Transparency International laid out a framework that would have [made things less opaque at FIFA].” He expressed skepticism regarding the effectiveness of current leadership, suggesting that some changes have occurred but the fundamental issues persist.
Concacaf’s Future and Sponsorship Ethics
Discussing the leadership of Victor Montagliani post-2015 crisis, Brennan remarked, “There was a moment where Concacaf could have gone in a different direction: democratic, transparent, inclusive, diverse.” He questioned whether Montagliani would prioritize broader interests over personal gain.
On the topic of sponsorship deals with Saudi Arabia, Brennan stated, “Any nation state that is murdering journalists has to be marginalized.” He emphasized the importance of evaluating human rights records before entering partnerships, arguing that failing to do so would undermine the values of sport.
As the USA, Canada, and Mexico prepare to host this year’s World Cup, Brennan sees it as an opportunity to address underlying inequalities. He pointed out, “In my local town in Maryland, all [organized] youth soccer is white kids. But a 10-minute walk from my house a park is reserved by Latino communities … There is something wrong here and there is an opportunity for us to reshape how this looks.”
- This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
