New coach, new ideas in football
With a season mired in controversy both on and off the field, the sport of football has on several occasions come close to open warfare. Over the last few days a visit by the regional federation president has prompted football officials to once again try to get the ball rolling in the right direction… but in this high stakes game, nothing seems to come easy. Jose Sanchez reports.
Bertie Chimilio, President BNFA
“Many years ago the BNFA executive served for two years. When FIFA changed the rules in 1995 to four years, our executive under then president Mr. Delhart Courtney also changed it to four years. What they were saying was “No, that was never changed, that was never done.” In actual fact we proved to them, but some people in the league wanted their way and they couldn’t have it and they kept on pressuring and pressuring. We knew where we stood, FIFA has supported us, UNCAF and CONCAF has supported us. So we knew we had a four-year term and we had nothing to hide, nothing to fight with them about. That’s what why we brought President Warner to tell.”
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Usually when there are disputes, a delegation is usually sent to deal with the situation. But CONCACAF President Jack Warner himself has come to Belize to put and end to all the bickering and leave a framework that will further the sport.
Jack Warner, President, CONCAF
“They have to understand in the closing of the general meeting there was no clear cut arrangement for representation. Nowhere could I find up to now any rules that says now many votes are to be given to the league or to the delegates and so, and that needed to be put in order. And there were other minor ones like appeals for example and discipline. And so therefore I’ve asked them to revise their constitution, both sides, which we shall assist them in doing. I’ve given them a deadline of how and when I want these things to achieve and by and large by the end of the year to hold new elections.”
One controversial idea Warner proposes to develop the sport, is to eliminate four of the twelve football clubs over the next few years.
Jack Warner
“What you find is that you have better quality footballers, your sport will be more competitive. You will of course have a shorter season, more intensive and I guess a more protracted season and in doing so you will bring the fans back to the sport. The quality will increase. A small country doesn’t have enough talent to have the amount of teams you have at the semi-pro. In my own country of one point five million people, we only have eight. For six years now there has been eight and we have no ambition to go higher in the short term. So I’m saying this to you, based on my experience, that you should have a reduced number, there are far too many. What you are doing here is sacrificing quality for quantity.”
The league is trying to improve their quality with the newly acquired services of Leroy Sherrier. Sherrier, who replaces former national team coach Manuel Bilches, has served the past twenty-five years as a technical coordinator for Costa Rica’s national team.
Leroy Sherrier, National Team Coach
“I have a sub-championship in Costa Rica with Limon and my experience towards Belize is a puzzle. Belize has a very good group of players and I think that if we work seriously, according to the philosophy of Mr. Chimilio and the philosophy of Jack Warner, If we work with the youth, if we work with the skillful players we have, we can have a very good national team and we can have a very good development programme of players in Belize.”
Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
According to BFL president Maito Perdomo, the semi-pro league is satisfied with the results of the conference and is looking forward to working with coach Sherrier. They will be meeting with him tonight to hear his plans for development of the sport.
