PM willing to talk with FIFA, TTFA

THE PRIME Minister is intent on removing turmoil from local football.

Dr Rowley plans to approach FIFA as a mediator in an attempt to bring resolve to the current impasse between the TT Football Federation (TTFA) and the sport’s global governing body.

Rowley made these remarks during his address at Saturday’s opening of the Point Fortin Hospital. He believes the present state of local football and its administration is directly hampering the development of our nation’s youth.

“I give you the commitment today that I would try again to talk with FIFA and the TTFA to see if there’s a possibility of having the current arrangement pass us by or some kind of arrangement which can derive that which allows our youngsters to enjoy the beautiful game. What exists now cannot be allowed to continue because it is a serious threat to the well-being of our young people,” he said.

Since March, then-TTFA president William Wallace and his administration was removed from the helm of local football, by FIFA, after just four months in charge. FIFA claim this action was taken following an audit of the local association which unveiled a high risk of insolvency and major debt.

Following this decision, the Gianni Infantino-led fraternity then appointed a normalisation committee headed by businessman Robert Hadad to run the TTFA’s daily affairs and establish a debt repayment plan.

TTFA has since filed a lawsuit in the local High Court against FIFA preventing them FIFA from interfering or seeking to override the “fair and transparent democratic processes of the TTFA and/or preventing them from removing the executive of duly elected officers from office.

Rowley added, “Our football is in some aspect of turmoil at the moment and it would not and should not be allowed to continue. The Minister of Sport (Shamfa Cudjoe) and I have been looking at this very gingerly, hoping that we would come to a place very quickly where the difficulties might be overcome. They might not disappear but we need a working relationship.”

In the primary stages of the dilemma between the two football entities, Rowley contacted Infantino in an early attempt at quelling the situation. When the matter was put before the courts by TTFA, Rowley pulled back.

“I put a call through to the head of FIFA who I am in a good relationship with. But then I cancelled it because the conversation might not have been appropriate. Because the matter swiftly turned into a legal matter, the government kept out of it. There were those who turned to the government to intervene. It is not something the government can just jump in to,” he said.

At the launch of the Home of Football in Couva in November 2019, under then TTFA president David John-Williams, Infantino and Rowley were present for the official opening. The Prime Minister was impressed with the spanking new facility and was made to believe football was heading in the right direction.

However, after the administrative blunders and mudslinging between FIFA and TTFA over the past four months, Rowley’s has now rescinded his expectations.

“The administrations seem to have come apart. The government of TT did in fact partner with FIFA. The government gave land (for Home of Football) and a commitment. FIFA gave money and a commitment to pay attention to improving football in TT. The opposite seemed to have happened,” Rowley declared.

After Rowley’s announcement to serve as an intermediary, former TTFA technical director Keith Look Loy was appreciative of such a move. Although Look Loy still believes FIFA should have held talks with the now-removed executive before disbanding the administration, he believes government involvement may be a step in the right direction.

“I see this as a welcome and overdue development. The government has held a standoffish position on this for the past four months. If they could engineer talks between FIFA’s representatives and the duly elected officers of the TTFA to see how we could resolve whatever issues there may be, that must be a welcome development. We are willing to sit with FIFA to sit and discuss all matters,” he said.