There was also one more important issue which didn't make our newscast last night; it involves the way the top football league will be managed in the next coming months. Representatives from FIFA will come in to assist those who run the Premier League of Belize. The idea is to raise football standards at the semi-pro level, and to make it more successful commercially.
But, as we told you, the semi-pro teams were not happy with recent decisions which were made. The issue was that the PLB is run by an autonomous executive which is separate from the Executive of the FFB.
That's until recently when one of the senior managers decided to vacate his position. In doing so, he handed over management to the FFB executive, which by the football statutes, were illegally running it. That's where those letters we told you about, which were written to FFB President Ruperto Vicente, come into play. The semi-pro teams, minus Belmopan Bandits, reportedly demanded that the league be handed back to the remaining executives of the PLB, or they wouldn't play.
On Monday night, we asked the President about that issue in the context of FIFA coming to assist with PLB. Here's what he told us:
Ruperto Vicente
"FIFA is going to be here in October and they're going to he holding workshops with the stakeholders and reorganizing the league for us and certainly looking in assisting us as well in managing the league. So that process is going to be coming up in October. What all is entailed in that, I do not have the details, but FIFA will certainly do the work for us."
Daniel Ortiz
"Now sir we were also informed that many of the Premier League clubs excluding the Belmopan Bandits wrote to you recently saying that if certain changes weren't made, they weren't prepared to play. Is that correct, did that happen?"
Ruperto Vicente
"I am not too sure about that. I know they requested a meeting of me and we're meeting with them tomorrow."
Daniel Ortiz
"I know this is internal matters, but are you able to disclose to us, what some of those issues are? We're told that it's because of the changes in officials at the Premier League of Belize."
Ruperto Vicente
"I am not sure because they have not given me an agenda or what topics they want to be discussing with me in that meeting. When they give me to disclose then I will be able to respond to your question."
The issue, as we understand it, is that because FFB did not come into management of the league by the legitimate means, it would be improper for them to invite FIFA to make changes. Part of the intervention by the CONCACAF and FIFA representatives yesterday is that the league will be placed back into the hands of the remaining PLB executives. Then, whatever adjustments which need to be done will be put into effect when the FIFA representatives arrive. This should appease the Semi-Pro Teams.
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