The man who came to my parents home back in the early Spring of 1997 when I was signing one of the first Project - 40 (now Generation Adidas) contracts with Major League Soccer has been named CEO of English Premiership side Arsenal starting in January.

South African born, raised in the UK and trained as a lawyer at Oxford, Ivan Gazidis made his name in the United States after the 1994 World Cup, helping to found and develop Major League Soccer through the difficult early stages of infancy.

Via DailyMail

He said: ‘It is essential if Arsenal is going to be successful that its traditions are respected and that they be understood.

‘This is not going to be an American coming in with no understanding of Arsenal, looking to make it into a Disney-fied version of Arsenal Football Club.

‘This is an Englishman who grew up with the game, who has a deep understanding of Arsenal and is looking to provide sports business practices, but at the same time custodianship for the traditions of the club for the benefit of all of the stakeholders in it.’

Very good dude and the question now turns to who will replace him.

And better yet, who will start looking forward to the end of Player’s Union / MLS Bargaining Agreement that’s set to finish at the end of the 2009 MLS Season?

And remember, Eddie Pope has been with the Player’s Union for a year now….

image via Cache