BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - PRESIDENT of the St. Kits and Nevis Football Association, Anthony Johnson said the rules set out by the international governing body for the sport is clearly stated and the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) breached those regulations.
In responding to a question at a SKNFA press conference about the suspension of the TTFA, President Johnson explained that the sister organisation breached the policy of not challenging the international organisation in local courts.
The executive of the TTFA filed several challenges in the High Court Committee to run the affairs of football in the twin-island nation.
FIFA took that position after its team found several irregularities following a visit to the island.
“The decision follows the recent FIFA/CONCACAF fact-finding mission to Trinidad and Tobago to assess, together with an independent auditor, the financial situation of TTFA. The mission found that extremely low overall financial management methods, combined with massive debt, have resulted in the TTFA facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity. Such a situation is putting at risk the organisation and development of football in the country and corrective measures need to be applied urgently,” FIFA said in a statement in March when it fully installed the committee.
President Johnson explained to reporters that: “We are all aware that FIFA has a certain policy which is ingrained in their constitution as far as a member country not being able to take legal action in an ordinary court of law against FIFA.”
FIFA gave the TTFA a recent deadline to withdraw its High Court challenge, but that deadline was missed by the Trinidad officials, forcing FIFA to suspend the local body.
Johnson, who is an Attorney-at-Law, noted that he was not in a position to speak about the matter that resulted in the impasse between the two entities, only to remind that such challenges need to go to the International Court.
“From what I understand, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association would have taken action in their ordinary court of law as opposed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, which is the recognised tribunal for dealing with disputes of that nature.”
The world governing body suspended Trinidad and Tobago from all FIFA sanctioned international events, including their world cup qualifiers until the matter has been withdrawn or scrapped altogether.
However, the zonal body for the sport, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), gave the TTFA a lifeline with their inclusion into the qualifiers for the 2021 Gold Cup.
That lifeline is dependent on the body resolving its issues later in the year.
