Alexi Lalas Leaves ESPN to Join Fox Sports Soccer Coverage

Former defender-turned-analyst Alexi Lalas has defected from broadcaster ESPN to join rival network Fox Sports.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reports Fox will soon announce Lalas as part of their roster to work on their busy football programming across all competitions.

Lalas confirmed the move, saying he will work on his new home's coverage of the FA Cup and Champions League, as well as the forthcoming men's and women's World Cup competitions, per Deitsch. Lalas appeared excited by the move, saying the network "Godfathered me" when he met with Fox to discuss their future in soccer and how he could be involved:

"

We all work for money and financially [the Fox offer] was wonderful. From a content standpoint, we ran down all the different things they have, including the World Cups, which I’ve loved to do.

...

I wanted to be part of something and a place I believed in. Just because someone is interested in you does not mean you belong there. Talking to the executives at Fox, there was a real desire to do something big and bold when it comes to soccer on television in the next eight years.

"

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

The capture of Lalas is a statement by Fox as they battle for the bragging rights in US television coverage of the biggest sport in the world.

Deitsch says one of the huge factors that would have attracted Lalas to the network was giving him a work base in his home of LA—something ESPN could not offer the colour commentator. with Lalas confirming:

"It's a much shorter commute and that is important to my family."

However, Lalas also said that ESPN could have done more to keep him and that he still "loves" the company, per Deitsch:

"Look, this was not me saying I do not want to be at ESPN. I love ESPN. This was an opportunity that came along that was so much more than ESPN could offer."

Lalas is arguably the most recognised figure in the US soccer and his move from station to station will be noted worldwide. His brand of analysis is hugely popular at home and abroad, and Fox will build their reputation in the coming years around his personality.

Lalas is a shrewd signing by Fox and he will lead them into a new era of soccer broadcasting.