Founder and Organizer
Diego Von Vacano
Dr. Diego von Vacano is Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University. He is also co-Founder of the Yale Soccer Conference and the Elite Soccer Conference. A lifelong fan of soccer, Diego has worked as a soccer journalist and photographer since 1990. Most recently, he covered the Champions League Finals in Madrid and Kiev and Euro 2016 for NBC News Latino/Telemundo. He received his PhD from Princeton in 2003. In his free time Diego enjoys showcasing his skills on the pitch, and persuading the younger generation why Maradona is the undisputed goat.
Organizer
Ben Clarke
Ben is a recent graduate of Princeton’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he wrote his senior thesis on the issue of trafficking in sport. Ben co-founded and organized the 2019 Princeton Soccer Conference with Jonny, and is now working at corporate communications firm Teneo in London. As a Northern Irishman, he is contractually obligated to say George Best is the GOAT.
Organizer
Jonny Hopcroft
Jonny co-founded and organized the Princeton Soccer Conference that was first hosted in December 2019. Since graduating last June, he’s been working from London as the Regional Manager (Europe) of Icarus Football, a design-focused football kit brand that’s disrupting the kit market with creative and personal apparel.
Organizer
Elian Haddock
Elian is a junior at Yale majoring in economics. He also mans the net as a goalkeeper for the Yale Men’s Soccer team, which he helped lead to an Ivy League Championship in 2019. Throughout his time at Yale, Elian has been involved in numerous entrepreneurship and finance extracurriculars and internships. He aspires to play soccer professionally and stay involved with the game in other ways in the future. Elian thinks it’s funny that some people think anyone other than Messi is the goat.
Organizer
Jeremy Haddock
Jeremy is a junior at Yale pursuing a degree in economics. Soccer represents a big part of Jeremy’s life, having grown up playing in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. before continuing his career as a center back for the Yale Men’s Soccer team. An avid fan of the game, Jeremy hopes to continue being part of the sport on the business side of things in the future. When not playing or in the classroom, Jeremy keeps busy as a co-Founder of the undergraduate soccer supporter’s group at Yale, jamming on the guitar, and convincing others that Messi is the goat.
