CAS decision raises lots of questions

I think the Philippine Football Federation wouldn’t be in a mess and wouldn’t have to deal with the Fifa ruling had there been someone like Cyril in the numerous times the PFF announced a new coach

The late Freeman photographer Cyril Camporedondo was a curious presence in boxing press conferences a decade or so ago because of one question he repeatedly asked. Sports reporters know that a boxer’s purse is sometimes a confidential matter but Cyril would have none of that.

“Pila imo madawat?” he’d ask and sometimes, we’d start laughing once we see Cyril walking to the microphone stand in boxing press conferences because we knew what he would ask.

I think the Philippine Football Federation wouldn’t be in a mess and wouldn’t have to deal with the Fifa ruling had there been someone like Cyril in the numerous times the PFF announced a new coach.

“How much are you getting paid?”

“Who’s paying your salary?” Would such a person be laughed at the way Cyril was laughed at in boxing press cons here? Perhaps, but then again, if such a line of questioning was continually asked in the numerous announcements of coaching changes made by the PFF, perhaps we’d also learn that it was the Azkals Foundation, not the PFF, who was paying for the salaries of the coaches.

That, of course, leads to a lot of additional questions. Questions that weren’t asked before.

So in light of what happened in the past, there are a few Cyrilesque questions I’d like to ask the PFF that I think the public should deserve to know.

Who is paying Tom Saintfiet’s salary?

How much is he getting paid? Is the Fifa case involving the Azkals Foundation the reason the PFF dropped the Azkals monicker?

As to the first question, the PFF might insist on privacy but given the case that we learned belatedly, I believe we have to know. It would be unfortunate, if four years down the road, we’d hear of another case filed against a third party for non-payment of a contract of a coach identified with the PFF.

Because for me, that’s the whole surprising thing in the CAS decision, that a third party, in this case, the Azkals Foundation, was handling the negotiation and hiring of the coaches.

Back then, when the PFF kept changing coaches, we all asked, why is this happening? Why is there no long-term direction? Were the numerous coaching changes related to unpaid salaries?

What’s the best move forward for the PFF?

Transparency. We got to this mess because the previous senior team management wasn’t transparent.

I believe the mistakes made shouldn’t be repeated.

PFF president John Guttierez said they are dealing with the consequences of the decision and that other matters in the PFF might be affected.

I think that means the money that would have otherwise gone to something football-related will be used to pay for the P32-million penalty.

Let’s just pray that that was the only liability the current admin inherited.