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Steven Bank

@profbank.bsky.social

Professor of Law at UCLA. Posts are primarily about sports law, but may be about tax or corporate law. Posts are not legal advice

290 Posts787 Follower362 Folgt
Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 3d ago

I read this post and the one that preceded it quickly and I thought @jtannenwald.bsky.social was positioning Infantino as a late candidate for MLS Commissioner. And, honestly, not only would that be on brand, it would be a bigger splash than almost any player they could sign on the transfer market

Jonathan Tannenwald@jtannenwald.bsky.social · 3d ago

- Plus whatever drama awaits with Gianni Infantino, FIFA, UEFA, the White House, rocket ships to the moon, and who knows what else they'll come up with.

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 5d ago

In my article on whistleblower reforms - "Reforming FIFA from the Inside Out," 52 Vand. J. Transnat'l L. 265 (2019) - I emphasized the notion that for insiders "global football is a mission more than it is a business," concluding that "this kind of loyalty is the seed upon which reform can be sown."

Tariq Panja@tariqpanja.bsky.social · 5d ago

In a week of incendiary statements, this from Kevin Lamour, who at least for tonight remains FIFA COO, is incredibly damning in that it is from an insider that goes beyond this one scheme and is an assassination in a few hundred words of the FIFA president as a leader of global football.

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 6d ago

A reminder that these Confederation responses are just non-binding straw polls. If Mexico is still reviewing the proposal, you can bet a number of other CONCACAF members could be persuaded if FIFA upped the payoff.

Jonathan Tannenwald@jtannenwald.bsky.social · 6d ago

The bar set by the milquetoast slices from the U.S. and Canada was quite low, and yet. "Accordingly, the FMF will fully carry out this review and analysis process in order to make the decision that best serves the development of Mexican football."

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 6d ago

CONCACAF rejects FIFA's proposal, but the members do leave themselves straddling the fence a little because the statement does not indicate that they are joining UEFA in boycotting all FIFA events. www.concacaf.com/competitions...

Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations  | Concacaf

Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations

concacaf.com

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 6d ago

This is correct, but today's emergency meeting at CONCACAF will be telling. Its statement was more of a disapproval of the process than a condemnation of the substance. It left itself room to straddle the fence while their smaller members see if they can still get paid under a compromise proposal.

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 6d ago

This is correct, but today's emergency meeting at CONCACAF will be telling. Its statement was more of a disapproval of the process than a condemnation of the substance. It left itself room to straddle the fence while their smaller members see if they can still get paid under a compromise proposal.

Brenda Elsey@brendaelsey.bsky.social · 6d ago

There are 41 federations in Concacaf and 47 in AFC. Their sympathy with UEFA bodes poorly for Infantino’s plan to bribe federations 20 million each for selling WC to Kushner & co. Since Conmebol has only 10 voted, I expect Dominguez to do whatever will benefit him personally.

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · last mo.

Maybe they just followed the Cristiano Ronaldo precedent, where FIFA explained that it was his first red card in 225 international appearances. This was Balogun's first red card in 30 international appearances. ;-)

David Gass@empiregass.bsky.social · last mo.

This is the worst part. If you were going to re-litigate it and overturn the red great. But instead fifa just made up a fake get out of jail free card… which as a us soccer supporter I WILL TAKE

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · last mo.

I know they want to make a point about Vozhina's dramatic rise and the World Cup effect, but if they acknowledged the two most followed MLS player (Messi with ~530M followers and Luis Suarez with ~48M), they could also demonstrate soccer's massive global following

Men in Blazers Media Network@meninblazers.bsky.social · last mo.

Vozinha, Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeping hero, now has more Instagram followers than all active NFL, MLB and NHL athletes, and all but three NBA players 🤯 The power of the World Cup is unmatched 🇨🇻

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · last mo.

The reflecting pool screwup is the Four Seasons Landscaping screwup of Trump's second term. It's absurd, everyone can acknowledge it's absurd without it calling into question their own policy priorities, and it has metaphorical qualities about it that makes for great press.

Amanda Mull@amandamull.bsky.social · last mo.

I’d love to read, say, 1200 words from a really good writer on why exactly the reflecting pool thing has turned into the durable embarrassment across media that a lot of other, equally public scandals or screwups could have been in the previous 18 months

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The number of pre-revolution Iranian flags visible in photos and on the broadcast made it feel like the stadium security version of jury nullification.

Pardeep Cattry@pcattry.bsky.social · 2mo ago

back at SoFi Stadium for Belgium vs. Iran — both sets of fans have turned out and I’ve also seen a healthy number of Lion and Sun flags I also continue to see a ton of Mexico kits; additionally, I’m ready to call this the World Cup of the wide-brimmed cowboy hat

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

If you're looking for some light reading before today's Mexico v. South Africa game and want to learn about how FIFA resisted and then tried to undo the boycott against South Africa during the apartheid regime, check out the draft of my latest paper

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Just in time for the start of the World Cup, here's a draft of my new piece: "The Duality of FIFA Neutrality: Law, Politics, and the 2026 World Cup" papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Many people have focused on protests disrupting the games in the U.S., but the opener in Mexico may be the World Cup of protests with 8 separate protests (on different issues) all expected to converge on the stadium today

Pablo Maurer@mlsist.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Here in Mexico City, protests, strikes and public unrest have understandably given some locals complicated feelings ahead of the opener tomorrow afternoon. My story, on the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

If I'm correct that truth is a defense to slander under French law, although interpreted very strictly to require truth in all respects, this could end up being the European revival of the FIFA corruption case. They could also rely upon good faith as the defense, though, which is probably simpler

Tariq Panja@tariqpanja.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Michel Platini has filed a criminal complaint against Infantino and others alleging slander, influence peddling and a conspiracy that prevented Platini to become FIFA president, a position that Infantino, his former No.2, has held for a decade now. Lawyers for Platini have also filed a civil claim

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Before the US visas were issued, Taj reportedly said that "the FFIRI has formally notified FIFA that if visas are not issued for every single member of the travelling contingent, Iran will take "another decision" regarding its participation in the tournament." www.insidethegames.biz/articles/ira...

Inside The Games • Iran's World Cup path in US limbo despite Mexico approval

While the Western Asia squad has spent the final days of its preparation camp in Antalya, Türkiye, navigating complex logistical shifts, the scheduled departure to its base camp has been put on hold d...

insidethegames.biz

Tariq Panja@tariqpanja.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Among the officials denies entry to the US is Mehdi Taj, the former IRGC commander, who has been the longtime president of Iran’s football federation. I interviewed him this week: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/w...

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It looks like Ventura County FC's operators, Oaks Sports Holding Group, might be ending their relationship with the Galaxy in MLSNP and starting a new team in USL League One. Perhaps MLSNP's new private equity investors reduce the benefits for independent operators. 1/2

Alex Ashton@leagueoneupdater.com · 2mo ago

The USL submitted four new clubs for sanctioning ahead of the 2027 season. Here's what we know about the group, those notably missing from the application, and some early indications of season format changes 👀

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 3mo ago

NASL lost its appeal of the jury verdict against it in its antitrust lawsuit against US Soccer and MLS. The court ruled that NASL's claim that it was erroneously required to prove a relevant market had been waived. 1/2

Michael McCann@mccannsportslaw.bsky.social · 3mo ago

U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer score a win against NASL at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as the federal appeals court upholds last year's jury trial win in a $500 million antitrust case. @sportico.bsky.social has the details and analysis: www.sportico.com/law/analysis....

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A two-semester season is consistent with the US Soccer/NextGen White Paper recommendation for college soccer, but it omits a regionalized structure. That's critical to making college soccer sustainable. Otherwise, the cost of two semesters will lead to programs being cut.

Jonathan Tannenwald@jtannenwald.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Men’s college soccer might finally be going to a two-semester season. Yes, it’s real this time. Here’s the NCAA’s announcement: www.ncaa.org/news/2026/5/...

Steven Bank@profbank.bsky.social · 5mo ago

FIFA opened itself up to this kind of request when it started multi-country hosting, but it would make no sense for FIFA to set a precedent like this

Pardeep Cattry@pcattry.bsky.social · 5mo ago

NEW: sources tell me FIFA is unlikely to move Iran’s World Cup games from the U.S. to Mexico despite Iran’s claim they are in negotiations to do so more on the evolving situation in my explainer for @cbssportsgolazo-m.bsky.social: www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/...