Portuguese Francisco Marcos was elected to the Soccer Hall Of Fame, as soccer is known in the United States.
Born in the city of Bombarral, the Portuguese emigrated to the US at the age of 16 to study, and became involved in promoting football in that country from the 1970s. In the following decade he played a pioneering role in the football world. formation of an indoor football league that would evolve into a complex structure of championships, with different levels, currently existing in the US and Canada, at a level below Major League Soccer.
From the NASL to the USL, with many stops along the way, Francisco Marcos’ name is synonymous with the growth of soccer in the United States.
Now he’s going to the Hall of Fame!
– National Football HOF (@soccerhof) December 2, 2023
Founded in 1985 by Francisco Marcos, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League was initially conceived as a minor indoor soccer league, involving five teams from the Southwestern United States. The League’s headquarters were in Austin, Texas.
“With determination and entrepreneurial spirit,” the National Soccer Hall of Fame recalls, “Marcos went far beyond official plans and created the first minor league soccer from coast to coast. He became a nurturing force who helped the game grow and prosper. “
“Francisco left an indelible mark on the modern history of North American soccer,” said former USL President Tim Holt. “The work he did contributed to the growth this sport has had.”
The first opportunities to work in the world of football in the US arose in the North American Soccer Leagues (NASL), the predecessor of the current MLS, characterized by the participation of stars such as Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer or the Portuguese Simões and Seninho. Francisco worked as a manager for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Dallas Tornado, as he recalled some time ago in a report in the Brazilian newspaper Lance.
“Of course I am proud. I am one of the pioneers, next to twenty to thirty people who have been doing this hard work every day for almost forty years, married to football. It is very satisfying to get to this point. It was worth it worth going that way.” far. far away. I have a good life thanks to football. Football took care of me. I have won several awards, I am a life member of the North American Federation. I even won a ring for it. I’m in the Amateur Federation Hall of Fame too. All part of recognizing the work of a career,” said sports fan Francisco in this report.
As of now, Francisco Marcos is even a name inscribed in the North American Football Hall Of Fame.
Source: DN
