By Paul Nicholson
July 22 – Tomorrow the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) will vote in what has become an increasingly politicised vote with the regional governing body CONCACAF and its new president Victor Montagliani having inserted themselves into the election hustings with funding for one of the candidates through an exclusive-invite Trinidad conference, and the leak of CFU financial information to the press in an attempt to discredit the current leadership. It is perhaps the most crucial vote the CFU has ever had to take on its own future.
The battle for control of the Caribbean over the past year has been a story of splitting the solidarity of a 31-member region that in the past has held the voting control over CONCACAF’s leadership and been a key block vote in FIFA presidential elections.
The vote in Miami tomorrow will ultimately decide whether the CFU can find a common unity behind one of two Caribbean-focussed candidates who have a manifesto emphasis on development, or opt for a candidate with a focus on developing a professional Caribbean league and paid infrastructure for the sport.
On the surface it is, in many ways, a microcosm of the on-going debate in Europe between the financial interests of the big clubs and development responsibilities of the member federations.
But what makes the Caribbean battle different is the ominous election involvement of CONCACAF and its big brother presence in its effort to manipulate voters to get their man in. The old political FIFA ways are alive and very much kicking in this election. So is the use of monetisable ‘gifts’ in the form of friendly matches.
In the CFU case the candidate preferred by CONCACAF is Trinidad and Tobago FA (TTFA) president David John-Williams, who has put forward a compelling case for a professional Caribbean Football league. Organising a meeting of 17 CFU member associations in Trinidad last month, there were no invites for the CFU, its president Gordon Derrick (John-Williams’s election rival) or its general secretary.
That meeting was funded by CONCACAF and UEFA, with the public backing of CONCACAF president Montagliani. FIFA sent observers though denies funding. John-Williams announced his candidacy for the CFU presidency at that meeting.
Head of a family-owned construction firm in Trinidad, John-Williams is not afraid to make decisions on his own. He has come under fire within the TTFA for not following the rules and making decisions without board knowledge, including spending decisions. Trinidad sources say that there will be local challenges to his presidency as a result.
He has also been criticised within the Caribbean for splitting the CFU’s negotiating and political powerbase, pulling a group of nations with him who have received favours of better friendly/warm-up matches. Their votes went to Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential election and on to Montagliani in the CONCACAF election – the dream package for North American interests.
A further criticism was of how committed John-Williams is to the CFU has been raised around his threat to break the collective TV rights contract so he and the TTFA could negotiate their own contract. This would of course would hit smaller FAs hard and goes against the principles of solidarity, but in a commercial marketplace the big markets will generally dictate the money pool as they have the leverage.
The overall objective of creating a professional league can’t be questioned, and all three candidates have it as an objective. John-Williams’ difference is that he has prioritised it and independently kickstarted his own roadmap to that end. The decision for Caribbean federations is whether this is their priority as well.
His main rival in the election is Derrick, though the other candidate US Virgin Islands president Hillaren Frederick is a popular figure amongst the Caribbean federations. Rumours that Frederick may pull out the presidential election have so far proved unfounded, but if he did he would be expected to throw his weight behind Derrick.
This week CONCACAF leaked documents to World Soccer concerning a financial audit conducted led by Montagliani (before he became president) concluded in January this year that showed the CFU with liabilities of $1 million. Correspondence leaked from CONCACAF acting general secretary Ted Howard (dated March) talks of the liabilities as being of an “urgent and alarming nature”.
The timing of the leaked information, just before the election, is clearly designed to raise questions about financial propriety within the CFU and is being used politically to discredit Derrick and his administration. Questions that undoubtedly need to be raised and explained to members.
Derrick says that there is no issue explaining these amounts and that the information requested has been supplied to CONCACAF. He says that the membership will decide on the propriety of the administration and the finances, and that the information will be before them first before the general public.
How much the expenses questioned in the audit are a real issue and how much they are being used as a political tool will thus be for member associations to determine when they vote. John-Williams claims they show financial irresponsibility and on the face of the leaked the questions need to be answered. But it is a grey area made murkier by the keenness of CONCACAF to get involved in this election.
The battle for control of the Caribbean is at a crucial stage. Derrick was barred from standing in the CONCACAF election on somewhat spurious grounds by FIFA’s then audit and compliance supremo Domenico Scala.
By banning Derrick, the way was effectively cleared for Montagliani to take the presidency. It appears that isn’t enough for CONCACAF or its new president. The CFU has suffered significantly at the hands of CONCACAF presidents in the past – Jack Warner and Jeff Webb took money that should have gone to CFU member associations. The question for CFU members is how independent is the challenge to the current leadership and does it make all of them stronger, or just a few of them.
Promises of gold are not gold, especially in FIFA’s politically charged world. But freedom and self determination often comes at a price. On a very basic level that is their election choice in Miami tomorrow.
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