Stillitano '81 Named One of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Soccer
July 21, 2017 | Men's Soccer
ESPN FC announced its list of the top 50 most influential people in football on July 18. Coming in at No. 48 is Princeton alum Charlie Stilitano '81.
Stilitano is the Chairman of Relevant Sports, and organizes the International Champions Cup. The Cup brings European clubs to the United States each summer to play in preseason friendlies. The 2014 ICC notably set the all-time attendance record for a soccer game in the United States, as 109,318 fans watched Manchester United vs. Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium.
Here is what ESPN FC had to say about why they chose Stilitano as one of its top movers and shakers:
"Preseason tours are as much about marketing and money as they are form and fitness, and Stilitano has established himself as the go-to person in this field. The International Champions Cup, for which ESPN is a rights holder, is an annual, multicontinent event that features the world's biggest clubs and puts on events such as this month's Miami Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. And might it become more important? In 2016, Stilitano made headlines when he suggested that the ICC could offer an alternative to the UEFA Champions League and feature games outside Europe."
Stilitano, who was teammates with Bob Bradley at Princeton, was named honorable mention All-America in 1979 when he was a junior and helped the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The following year he captained the 1980 squad. Stilitano is a three-time All-Ivy League selection with two credits on the first team.