FIFA’s President tells government not to meddle in its affairs
FIFA’s president Joseph Sepp Blatter touched down in Belize for only a few hours on Wednesday; he arrived and left on a private plane heading to Nicaragua. The visit, albeit short, gave him enough time to express his stanch support to Dr. Bertie Chimilio, the president of the Football Federation of Belize which is a FIFA affiliate. On the ground, the F.F.B. is responsible for promoting and developing the sport as well as grooming the country’s young talents. But there is a major power play for its executive seat that has both the organization and the government in a twist. Blatter says government shouldn’t interfere in F.F.B. affairs. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following report.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The conflict over the legitimacy of Dr. Bertie Chimilio’s role as president of F.F.B. couldn’t have been any clearer when the Minister of Sports chose not to attend the launch of Goal Project Two. The undertaking, in part, saw the inauguration of a new seating facility and changing rooms at the FIFA-certified stadium in Belmopan. In attendance was Sepp Blatter, president of the most powerful global sports organization.
Sepp Blatter, President, FIFA
“Let football [be] in peace. Let football work according to the statutes of football and these [are] statutes according to statutes of the international federation. We need the support of the government but the government should not and never interfere in the organization of our game and especially not in the statutes.”
Bertie Chimilio
The comment comes months after the signing of a statutory instrument that would allow for an investigation into the affairs of the F.F.B. According to Chimilio there is no issue with the government. The problem, he says, are the personalities therein.
Dr. Bertie Chimilio, President, F.F.B.
“The problem is not with the government. I don’t think we have a problem with the government. We have a problem with a minister who wants to do things his way and not the right way and we in the federation will do all our best to make sure that we remain independent and we do what has got to be done even if we have to go to the courts and I’m saying this with no apology. We are ready to go to the courts because we know [that] what he has done is totally out of order so Mr. Minister we are ready for you when you’re ready.”
Sepp Blatter
The purpose of Blatter’s visit nevertheless was to approve the work that has gone into modernizing the stadium. In September of last year major efforts were made to bring the arena up to par with international standards which include proper seating, lighting and on-field demarcations.
Sepp Blatter
“I think we are on the good track and what we have to do more in football here is to take care of the youths and let them play. And we need some more pitches and here we’ll need the government’s support and I spoke with the prime minister today and he promised that he will do or will help that some of the football pitches [be] made available through the government that they could be reconstructed or arranged and we will help them to do so.”
The stadium, Chimilio concluded, was the product of money well spent.
Dr. Bertie Chimilio
“He has looked around and has seen that yes we have done our job and that’s the reason why he came to inaugurate it. So it’s a milestone and we’re hoping that with the third phase we could finish up and have our international matches here.”
Before leaving, Blatter made a firm commitment to the F.F.B. and the country that FIFA will continue investing in the development of football in Belize through infrastructure and training opportunities for local athletes. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
Blatter also referred to the unprecedented Statutory Instrument signed the Minister Sports, John Saldivar, on January sixth, which established an investigation on Bertie Chimilio’s election and the F.F.B. And according to the president of the sixth largest nation of more than one billion people, FIFA is an independent entity with its own statutes.
Everyone in the world seems to be aware of the corruption that have plagued the Jewel.Not even the president of FIFA want to have anything to do with them.What a shame.
With Chimilio and all of his members football will go no where. we all know they steal the 800000 thousand euros given every year towards football.
come on belizeans we can have a better belize without chimilio in sports
First time i have heard Chimilio speak. He is full of arrogance!!!
I can see now why both governments have hated his guts.
When will this governmnet learn that not everyone wil do their bidding? I wonder how the international community will view this? Not very good for Belize but then I hope they understand the mentality of the Barrow administration.
NOW IF WE COULD ONLY SURROUND IT WITH SEATING AND PROVIDE PARKING………it might just work.
Football/basketball/softball was always the traditional sports in Belize, and even today the playing fields still look like twenty years ago. By now Belize the UDP and the PUP should have had more than just a grass field to show for their hard work in improving the state of Belize. It is not only from the lack of jobs that the gang groups are enlarging their circles, but also from a lack of governmental stimulation to the gang members. Today incompetence still rule in Belize (Gov), Bertie Chimilio is direct proof of this sad situation.
The very sight of Bertie Chimilio Disgusts me but in the same breath, DEAN BARROW GOT SERVED!!! Not everyone is at his beck and call like his @$$kissing cronies and the puppets that make up his government and supporters. Take that that to the Swiss bank baldie!!! LMAO!!!!!!!! I still can’t stand the very sight of Bertie!!!!!!
@ Justice, u make no sense. This has little to do with the government and the way it administers at this time. This however has everything to do with a distasteful pitbull named Bertie Chimilio who has robbed the Belizean youth of their dream of playing football and making it big internationally. It will soon be clear that Bertie is an animal and not good for the sports. The special investigation committee is taking too damn long to issue the report so that we can go to the courts as Bertie wants and so that Belize can breathe a new breath of fresh air by disassociating itself from FIFA for a year or two.
Sepp Blater is the most corrupt man in World Foot ball and Sports. Just google his name along with the word bribe or corruption. This man cannot lecture people about right and wrong. I speak as an avid football fan and not as a party man. Every football club manager in Europe and their respective Board of Directors of their Clubs and the Executives of National Associations know that Blatter is a crooked man who runs his football feifdom free of any prosecution because of his influence and money and ability to make powerful people in World Football and political leaders with an interest in winning a World Cup bid happy.
Bertie and most in Gov are the same!!!!!!! – Once they are getting what they want – They don’t care what happens to anyone else!!! – Punto final.
I think Blatter had the real balls to tell gov. don’t get in my soup like you do the belizeans. I hope they change chimilio for the benefit of the sports community in football. I know barrow won’t have the balls to ask Blatter for an apology for telling him straight to the point dont try to shyne me and my FIFA.
Wait and see ….. G.O.B. sue FIFA – G.O.B. legal team headed by Lious Young & Dennis Barrow!!!! All at the taxpayers expense, of course!!!!
reality is that football is moving but moving quite slowly for my liking……like all the other sports in the country..it lacks support…it lacks finance..it lacks..proffesionalism….most of all it lacks development
You know, Bertie has always been labeled as an ill influence on Belizean upcoming soccer athletes. We ALL know this because myself as an EX player and goalkeeper of the Belize selection, I have personally seen and felt these bias and unfair treatment from Bertie’s regime! Take our last major match in Houston against Mexico and just begin to count all the unfair treatment dished out to our players even before the game even played! After the game players didnt get paid until months after the match had already played. But on the other hand, it seems FIFA seemingly has Chimillio’s back through this entire situation. The president of FIFA said so himself and I think this will give Chimillio even more power in terms of running the football federation in Belize since FIFA only recognizes him as an authorized and qualified agent to carry out their quest for improving the sport in the country of Bze. And if theres a group or body who wishes to take over this football body in Bze then they better be qualified and ready to do it right! It doesnt make sense if we put morons in there that are inexperienced because it will just set us back another 10 yrs! We simply cant afford that, if thats the case just leave Bertie there until I’m ready to be president!
No brainer with the government of Belize. Sport these days is a business as well as it serves for social and moral development just as the man pointed out. If the government had real brains in their so call Cabenet they will be able to structured Revenue Bonds to raise the necessary capital to put together real sproting facilities. But they have to have pepole at the helm who know how to promote to be able to attract sporting events that will be able to generate revenus to pay of the Revenue Bonds.There are companies with experience in putting together good feasibility package to raise huge sums of money, and it can be done in a manner that will not add to the country’s debt, but as Selfliquidating Revenue Bonds. But Belizeans are sitting back waiting for someone to come and build a free stadium or stadiums and all the supporting facilities that is necessary to turn out real athletes that can really compete on a international level. Javier Solis you need to get real, if you don’t understand what the man meant, shut up. What was arrogant about what he said? If we want t play in the international arena, then we have to know how.
May I ask what is it that disgust you all about the sight of Dr. Bertie Chimilio?
we are now in the hands of our qualify football players ——— what sport minister — this socall sport minister only want to full his pocket ——– hand pick some socall players like him ————- gooooooooooo belize win it alllllllllllll up with the players ———- downnnnnnnnnnnnnn—— with udp—and pup sillyness and crouption ——–up with the cup ——down with crooks at last —————————————————————
WELL SAID CHIMILIO, STAND UP TO THE POLITICIANS. WHAT SOCCER HAS TO DO WITH POLITICS?
If i am not mistaken, Caribbean Tire donated those Really nice and Expensive lights to the F.F.B that are currently placed on the football field in Belmopan…..and the FIFA president should also ask Chimilio where the $1.5M USD that he collected for the Belize vs. Mexico game that was held in Houston…..
The arrogance of this man. For goodness sake, how can we allow Bertie Chimilio to speak like that when every time he collects the might $$$$$$, it is in the name of BELIZE. What he has done is totally disrespectful. I say STEP UP Minister and show him that he is not BELIZE and he doesn’t run things around here. He isn’t living in his own little country. He lives in BELIZE. What a dumb fool!
FIFA
FIFA is an independent entity any part of the world you go, government has little or nothing to do with FIFA, the government needs FIFA, FIFA operates independent of government. We need more like Dr. Bertie in BZE, people who have balls, know what there job is and do their job well, you might not agree; but the president of FIFA agrees, so there goes goes the value of your opinion.
On the one hand I do agree with Mr Blatter to say the government should not interfere with football or any sport for that matter. I agree with some of the sentiments expressed about the lack of progress with our sports over the past say two decades for example in cycling, softball, football, cricket and track and field. We need to get our young people doing sports bringing home medals and putting Belize on the world map for all the right reasons.
I have to say I find it rich coming from Mr Blatter, as he is a hypocrite. His presidency at FIFA is marred with controversy. There have been so many rumours of financial irregularities, backroom dealings, and bribery among FIFA members. FIFA is a corrupt organisation and this has been reported by many reputable news organisations around the world. I believe a few years ago, with red faces, they were forced to outline in a dossier allegations of financial mismanagement within the organisation.
Mr Blatter is a nasty, corrupted 74 years old man, with the finance behind him and he came to Belize to flex his muscle a bit. A kind of warning shot over the government’s head. Football fans around the world hates his guts and there is a FB page dedicated to him called “Sepp Blatter is an A$$hole”.
John Saldivar is an arrogant @$$hole too.
chimilio is a !@#$%^& @$$…he’s done nothing for belize….i dont think it is even wise for reporters to interview him….all he ever says is bs…why keep him???…kick his @$$….we would have better football if had somebody else than chimilio….!!!!!
Dont blame Chimilio. The blame rests squarely on the Belizean footballers. When they resolve to organize their sport in the most effective manner, there will be no room for personalities who don’t sing the same tune and dance the same dance. Until such time, its going to be same ole, same ole…
Here is the situation for Brazil FiFa World Cup 2014….
The North, Central America and Caribbean Zone will contest play-off matches in June 2011 in order to reduce the number of teams included in the Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ in Rio de Janeiro on 30 July 2011.
The region’s ten lowest ranked teams according to March’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking were paired against each other to produce a series of five play-off matches which will be played on a two-legged, home and away basis.
Montserrat-Belize
Anguilla-Dominican Republic
US Virgin Islands-British Virgin Islands
Aruba-St. Lucia
Bahamas-Turks and Caicos Islands
The winners of these fixtures will join the remaining 25 higher-ranked teams from the region in the Preliminary Draw.
The first leg will be played on Friday 3 June, with the return leg scheduled for Tuesday 7 June.
26. Belize
27. Dominican Republic
28. British Virgin Islands
29. St. Lucia
30. Turks and Caicos Islands
31. Bahamas
32. Aruba
33. US Virgin Islands
34. Anguilla
35. Montserrat