Cosmos owner hits out at U.S. Soccer

New York Cosmos owner Rocco Commisso says he and the NASL are “full ahead litigating” the pending lawsuits against the U.S.

Commisso took issue with the USSF’s decision to deny the NASL a Division II designation last September without warning, and to later grant the same designation to the USL earlier this year.

Commisso also accused North Carolina FC owner Steve Malik of engaging in a “double play” by moving his team from the NASL to the USL, applying for an MLS expansion team, as well as acquiring a team in the NWSL and moving to North Carolina.

Malik was appointed to the USSF board of directors in March, and Commisso called it a “payoff” from the USSF to use NCFC’s stadium for both a U.S.

women’s national game against South Korea last October and men’s national team game against Paraguay later this month.

With regard to the lawsuits — an antitrust lawsuit against the USSF and a separate suit against most of the USSF board of directors — Commisso reiterated that he is prepared to go ahead.

Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit denied the NASL’s bid to receive an injunction that would have reinstated its Division II sanction from the USSF, which had been denied in September, and was the catalyst for the NASL’s antitrust suit against the federation.

Commisso indicated that he engaged in discussions with USL CEO Alex Papadakis about joining the league, but those talks fell apart, with Commisso of the belief that a provision that bars USL teams from competing in MLS markets prevented the Cosmos from joining the league.