FIFA cuts off cash to football in region

| 02/02/2016 | 46 Comments

Cayman News Service(CNS): With both CONMEBOL and CONCACAF at the heart of the global football corruption scandal, FIFA announced Monday that it is cutting off its funding to the Americas. This means there will be no more big pay-outs from the world football HQ for the Cayman Islands Football Association or any other national football bodies in the region. Most of the 41 people and entities who have been charged in the United States are associated with one of the two regional confederations.

“We can confirm that in light of current proceedings involving individuals related to CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, FIFA has put contributions towards these two Confederations on hold until further notice,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement to the international press yesterday. “We are currently assessing further steps to be taken to increase the level of assurance which may again enable FIFA to release such funds in the future.”

CONCACAF will now be strapped for cash as it is did not apparently receive an anticipated $10 million in payments from FIFA, including World Cup revenues and money from the global body’s Financial Assistance Programme.

The last three regional federation presidents have been indicted by the US authorities in the corruption case, including Caymanian Jeffrey Webb, his predecessor Jack Warner from Trinidad, and Honduran Alfred Hawit, who replaced Webb before CONCACAF announced it would not install a new president until this month’s summit. CONMEBOL’s former president, Nicolas Leoz, and its most recent leader, Jan Angel Napout, both from Paraguay, were indicted along with several other leading officials.

FIFA released an animated video Monday ahead of this month’s summit spelling out the changes it has implemented in the wake of the scandal, including reducing the president’s power and transparency on earnings. The new governance structures will be mirrored by all of its member associations and countries.

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Category: Caribbean, Central America, Local News, World News

Comments (46)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    just another day in cayman……. a ‘nation’ built on hypocrisy and ignorance…

  2. Anonymous says:

    Why does CIFA charge the public an entrance Fee $$ to attend government fields to watch football games?
    Hmm…

    • Anonymous says:

      CIFA does not collect entry fees currently, however, they did for years with what appeared to be no controls whatsoever. I remember maybe as late as 2014 when CIFA had staff collecting at the gate, $5.00 per person. You came through the gate and paid your fee, however no receipt of any kind was given as proof or as a way to control the revenue receipts. I personally witness a number of times where people only paid $1,$2 or whatever they wanted. With a system like this, can you guess where the funds went? XXXXXX Can we believe any of this funds were spend in improving the local game?

      • Anonymous says:

        The persons standing at the gate collecting money soon realised that they could collect a lot more by moving from the gate into the executive administration.

  3. Anonymous says:

    What sickens me is that the ones who are suffering the effects of all of this are the kids whose programs are in constant jeopardy due to the political favor games played by CIFA. There were some clubs who really wanted a change and have shown this recently and of course, they are now being penalized and blacklisted by CIFA. Sick!!!

    Worst, my child is asked to contribute $1 towards the club having to pay for practice on the CIFA pitch. Can you imagine that????

    • Anonymous says:

      Obviously your child is a member of one of the CIFA member clubs? You have to pressure the club to stand up and take action in removing the current CIFA maladministration.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Lying cheating stealing wheeling dealing, just another day at CIFA

  5. Hot Rod Rodriquez says:

    Close this S%$@ down Yes Jeff and Local Politicos and his Foreign Support interlopers with their Bulls$#@! Well Frau Minty did get her big post GS NO Money Honey $$$$

    • Anonymous says:

      Does this mean the UDP hangers on to FIFA/CIFA will have to make do on just their salaries…? Say it ain’t so Bobo.

      • Big Bout Ya says:

        You sit down deh and believe only UDP got piece dat money $$$$$ yeh hear That’s what some would like us to believe yet they are ever so quiet even playing the victim in certain court matters.

  6. Anonymous says:

    This means that FIFA expect the local football stakeholders to take some action. Here in Cayman the current CIFA EXCO MUST BE REPLACED as a matter of urgency, most of them were in place when all the monies went missing and they are simply not willing or capable of conducting an investigation. Are they going to recover funds from themselves?
    I understand that Peter Campbell still holding his VP position after a clear conflict of interest was disclosed last week in the Carepay case. When are the local clubs going to see the light? This EXCO is past its due date.

    • Chris Johnson says:

      The problem is that the current Executive Committee have no balls.

      • Anonymous says:

        Do you mean the current membership of CIFA, namely the clubs have no backbone to stand up and demand change. Some of them also enjoyed the gravy train for long time. WC tickets, private flights, 5 star hotel, etc. As for the current EXCO, history speak for itself.

      • Anonymous says:

        Players at our clubs should organize a coordinated walk-out and force their clubs to take action.

        • Anonymous says:

          Unfortunately, and this is a historical fact, our players and parents are not able to see the bigger picture. They have been used by CIFA forever. In the case of the parents they only want what is good for the child and therefore CIFA keeps telling us that the priority is the youth, however, we do not realized that children stay young for a short period of time and by the time they turn 16-17 there is nothing for them and they become disgruntled with the system and happy to play in the “Premier League” on Sunday nights and basically give up on everything else. How it is that CFU is currently having the Caribbean championships and Cayman having a nice group of young players do not have a team in the tournament. This group of players, coaches and clubs are not demanding and pressuring CIFA to allow them more opportunities.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Glad to see women getting more support. There are some fantastic up-and-coming female players from the Cayman Islands. Go girls go!

    • Anonymous says:

      It is ok, but I prefer real soccer, with proper defenders and goalkeepers etc.

      • Pit Bull says:

        It is even on TV now. Bloody awful it was.

      • SSM345 says:

        The sport is called football, not soccer, is the governing body known as FISA? Is the main competition known as the Soccer or FISA World Cup? No. The good ole US of A had to invent a new name for it because it clashed with the name of their national sport which involves them throwing a ball, not kicking it.

        Well done Jeff Webb et al for your loyal service to no one but yourselves and doing a great job at destroying any growth of the sport in our region. What shining examples you all are to our youth.

        • Anonymous says:

          Dear ignorant oik, the term “soccer” in a term of English not American derivation and was the first term given to the sport which was later called “football” but the state school classes. You, sir, should not be singing any more, you, sir, should not be singing any more.

        • Anonymous says:

          You appear to know very little about the history of the sport or that FIFA is a French acronym. With that little knowledge, can we assume you are a Chelsea or Man Utd fan?

          • SSM345 says:

            On yer bike pal, Celtic all the way, never have paid much attention to the English or their history.

            • Anonymous says:

              And it appears that you never paid much attention to the history of soccer, or etymology or the names of the governing bodies either. Which explains your fail when it comes to criticising the term soccer. So sad to see in one the British brethren, your ignorance of the bygone days of yore.

        • Anonymous says:

          In Australia it is simply known as Wog Ball.;
          Football is Australian rules.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Knowing for months that Webb stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the incomplete CIFA soccer pitch, diverting instead to his luxury compound in Atlanta and condos in Florida, why haven’t CIFA initiated any action to recover the stolen property that belongs to Cayman Football? What is Cayman waiting for? Clearly, we’re dealing with pervasive local corruption and the silence on this investigation and recovery effort is deafening.

    • Chris Johnson says:

      Anonymous 9.39 you are quite correct in your comments but more than Webb are answerable. Those who have served on the Executive Committee must have a problem particularly the current tribe. Millions of dollars have gone missing as I noted in my viewpoint several months ago and I have reason to believe there is more. Recovery of these monies would put CIFA in good financial standing. The local clubs must get off their backsides, replace the Executive Committee and commence recovery of the missing monies.

      • Anonymous says:

        Maybe CIFA can end up running the Captain’s Bakery.

      • George Ebanks says:

        A real national disgrace!
        CIFA Exec; to demonstrate its fiduciary responsibility; should take immediate steps to institute legal proceedings to recover ALL funds “missing”..!..and once they have recovered the missing funds they should issue a public apology to all who love the great game of soccer and then resign!

        • Chris Johnson says:

          George can we call it football please. Glad you put your name to the article and you are correct. Please read my viewpoint on the subject of two months ago and in spite of my remarks CIFA has done zilch. They need be replaced but the Executive Committee have no balls. One questions if the clubs are also tainted.

          • Anonymous says:

            Get over the football/soccer differentiation. You know what he was talking about. Sheesh!

            • Chris Johnson says:

              Let us rename the local association Cayman Islands Soccer Association. Would that make you happy Mr Anonymous?

              • Anonymous says:

                Given my public school background, yes it would.

                • Anonymous says:

                  You must be one of those posh expats going to public school in England. If that is the case you would have played rugby and thus know nothing about football. Please do not rub our noses in the dirt because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. And, at least Chis Johnson uses his name in his posts.

                  • Anonymous says:

                    And you must be one of those angry working class types with a chip on your shoulder. Thank goodness I was sufficiently expensively educated so that I did not have to mix with your type. And by the way, I know far too much about soccer.

                  • Anonymous says:

                    How is your class war working out?

          • Anonymous says:

            Soccer is less ambiguous and is an acceptable term.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Game over

  10. Anonymous says:

    Jeffrey Webb you should be proud of yourself!!! Not!!!

  11. Gray Matter says:

    No money, I can bet all will be stepping down now. just watch.

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