Caribbean football in for an interesting ride
THERE IS so much information on COVID19’s impact on sport, one could be forgiven for not realising some interesting moves by FIFA in the region. In fact, the restructuring of two of the largest football federations in the Caribbean, and especially in Trinidad and Tobago, has sent shockwaves throughout the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and minor tremors in Concacaf.
In case you missed it, on March 17, 2020, FIFA sent a release indicating that its council was appointing a normalisation committee to, among other things, be in charge of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) affairs. Then, on March 27, 2020, it announced the composition of said normalisation committee, now headed by businessman Robert Hadad. News also emerged that FIFA was looking into the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) for that body to make changes to its statutes. On the one hand, the JFF has indicated that it brought in the FIFA and Concacaf hierarchy while some have said it was the other way around; either way, it seems changes will be made.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the TTFA has been going through what must be considered its most difficult period, as it has been unable to pay its debtors and was looking forward to support from FIFA after the bruising 2019 elections that saw William Wallace being elevated to the top job, defeating the incumbent David John-Williams. Now, in a two-week span since FIFA’s first release, things moved swiftly with the TTFA later retaining the services of attorneys and indicating that the matter will now be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
INTERESTING RIDE
The actions by FIFA must not be taken lightly. Should TTFA win this case, it’s uncertain what happens next for the association. However, what is clear is that the Caribbean is in for an interesting ride. Why is this important? Well, for starters, the twin island republic is located in the Caribbean and is a major CFU player, being one of its biggest members by population size. Trinidad and Jamaica were always seen as the two powerhouses in the regional football landscape, especially with former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and his Concacaf vice-president at the time, Captain Horace Burrell, maintaining a strong hold on the region, as well as Concacaf.
FIFA’s actions, if anything, must be taken as a signal that it can flex its muscles at will if it believes there needs to be governance and financial reforms; and secondly, that the Caribbean may not be as strong as it once was. For the JFF, It will be interesting to see how the adjustments will be made and how the statutes will be implemented. There have previously been calls from the public for changes at the JFF, in terms of its governance structure, transparency and accountability. So it’s great to see JFF president Michael Ricketts indicating that there are important measures that will be implemented going forward. Some of these will address the voting at congress, number of eligible delegates, and composition of standing committees and boards. Remember, in November 2018, president Ricketts confirmed to RJR News that FIFA was conducting audits on the local governing body. I agreed with Ricketts, then, that it is not unusual for FIFA or any world governing body to send auditors. However, one couldn’t help but think that this emanated from issues FIFA could have been having with the JFF.
FIFA’s actions will reverberate across the Caribbean Sea and will now force other members to take stock of what is happening. Locally, I think the actions in Trinidad and Tobago will spur the JFF Congress to make the changes FIFA is requesting. The other issue for the JFF is that it depends heavily on its parent body (in this case,
FIFA) for financial and technical support. As we have seen many times before, if the changes are not forthcoming, then this support is withheld until such time.
It will be interesting to see how this will play out in terms of real reform in Jamaican football. Michael Ricketts is loved in football circles and has talked about making changes which I think he is capable of making. I think he has some good ideas, but the current structure may not allow them to come to fruition. However, I suppose the time is now.