Mark Abbott will step down as president and deputy commissioner of Major League Soccer, effective at the end of 2022, according to a memo obtained by ESPN.
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In a memo sent to the league’s Board of Directors, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said: “After nearly 30 years with the League, Mark has reached a point in his life and career where he wants to pursue many new areas personally and professionally. Mark will remain fully engaged through the end of next year and will transition into a consulting role on several key areas in 2023 and beyond.”
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Garber added in the memo that he and Abbott discussed the latter’s departure for “several months” and added: “I know I speak for everyone when I say he’s going to be fired. how much we have missed and how fortunate we have all been to work with such an intelligent, caring, balanced and exceptionally dedicated colleague in the best interests of our Union.”
Abbott was the union’s first employee when it began operating back in 1993, and was the architect of the union’s singular business plan. He has served as deputy commissioner since 2013, focusing on the business, legal and financial aspects of MLS. This includes all operational and competitive areas of the league, including product strategy, player relations, strategic planning, and communications.
“I was incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity in 1993 by Alan Rothenberg to help kickstart Major League Soccer,” Abbott said in a statement provided to ESPN. “The growth and success of our Federation has exceeded anything I could have imagined at the time; and it is a tribute to the commitment of the owners, club staff, players and referees as well as the leadership of Don Garber and the talent and dedication of our executives and staff at the Federation offices, both past and present. work with Don and my colleagues before I step down at the end of next year as we continue what has been an incredible journey together.”
Prior to assuming his current role, Abbott served as the league’s senior vice president of business affairs. He played a key role in the launch of the MLS in 1996, earning the League the “Sports Industrialist of the Year” award from the Sports Business Daily publication. Abbott was promoted to chief executive officer in 1997 and became MLS president in 2006. He was named to the Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list in both 2001 and 2002.
Prior to joining MLS, Abbott practiced law as an associate of MLS Founder Alan I. Rothenberg with Latham & Watkins, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and commercial law. .
