Even the backroom staff at the Red Bull Arena are soccer people through and through. This week Katharina Krutisch chats to the Vice President of Communications and Community Relations, Jurgen Mainka.
Name: Jurgen Mainka
Position: Vice President of Communications and Community Relations
How and when did you start playing soccer?
I grew up playing soccer in Mexico, you know, in the streets outside my house, and it just grew from there. I had the passion since I was a little kid.
Which players did you most admire when you were a kid?
When I was a kid, I played in goal, so one of the first guys I really looked up to was Ubaldo Filloll, the Argentina goalkeeper. In fact my most vivid soccer memory is related to him: I still remember the 1978 World Cup Final like it was yesterday… but what impressed me wasn’t so much the game as the atmosphere when Argentina played Holland in Buenos Aires. I remember seeing all the confetti flying from the stands when they announced Argentina. Years later I visited the Estadio Monumental and I was amazed. So Fillol was one of my idols for sure. I admire many of the Belgium goalkeepers, like Jean-Marie Pfaff. I actually got to know him when I was part of the last World Cup bid committee. (Germany goalkeeper) Sepp Maier is another of my idols. So there is a long list of goalkeepers… I guess you can see I go for the people who stop goals rather than the ones who score them.
Which club did you support back then?
My favourite club in the US is Red Bull New York, who else?! But my favourite Mexican club are the Pumas (Club Universidad Nacional). That’s my team. I admire a lot of other clubs and watch the best matches on TV but I love the Pumas.
So soccer is no longer just a passion for you, it’s a full-time job…?
I’m lucky that I can work in something that I love. I came to my do my masters degree in the US in 1997, I graduated 1999 and happened to find a job at the New England Revolution, the MLS team in Massachusetts, and then I moved here.
And working in the game hasn’t dulled your passion for it?
I don’t get to watch so many games these days but, yeah, I’m still passionate about the game. I’ve experienced the game at every level – and working in the game means you start to look at it from a different point of view – but there’s nothing like a great pass or an unbelievable goal… yeah, I love that!!!
What’s it like being the head of the communications department and managing all those interview requests for stars like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez? It must be hectic.
It’s fun! Of course it’s busy, but it’s also fun. And it’s not only about Thierry and Rafa, it’s about all our players. You can be the biggest superstar or the newest rookie, we treat everyone with the same respect. New York is the largest media market in the world, so it’s a battle to establish the sport in the mainstream. But all the other American sports have maybe reached a plateau, whereas in soccer there’s a new challenge every day. So it’s very busy, but I love my job.
And so where does the Head of Communications go to unwind?
I’ve got a beautiful 20-month-old daughter, I have a second daughter on the way… I have a wonderful wife and a German shepherd. It’s not easy trying to balance work and life – especially not in the entertainment industry – but my way of coming back to reality is to get away from it all with my family. We love the outdoors so we go hiking or camping and I am a big kiteboarder. So whenever I get the chance I try to escape to a secluded beach with the baby, the dog and the kiteboard.
And do you have a favourite hotspot in New York or New Jersey?
I am a big fan of international food, so you can’t go wrong in New York…but there is a particular Korean restaurant on 35th street between 5th Avenue and I think Broadway. It’s called Cho Dang Gol… Actually that was the first place my daughter ate solid food.
What’s your vision for the future of the New York Red Bulls and soccer in the United States in general?
I want soccer to keep growing. We have so much potential and we’ve come a long way already. We’ve got beautiful stadiums, we’re competing with Mexican clubs at international competition, as a national team, the US is getting stronger by the day. So my vision is for us to continue grow and become a big player in the world stage. New York Red Bulls took part in the Emirates Cup in London in the summer and we won it... so let’s think big.
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