Jaguars yet to receive payment for participation in Gold Cup

The flare of Gold Cup 2013 has dwindled since the annual CONCACAF tournament concluded in Chicago a few weeks ago.  Despite a less than stellar debut in the regional competition, the Jaguars were valiant in earning the respect of the greater football community. Woodrow West and Ian Gaynair were recognized for blowing the whistle on a potential match fixer.  It’s been a little over a month since the team’s return and, as expected based on a contract that was signed moments prior to their departure for Portland, Oregon; the players are awaiting payment for their participation in the Gold Cup games.  One of the athletes is preparing to tie the knot this weekend and several others are faced with financial responsibilities going into the new school year.  But that disbursal, to be defrayed in three tranches, has been delayed and, according to Marlon Kuylen, executive member of the Football Federation of Belize, the snafu is on CONCACAF’s end of the agreement.

Marlon Kuylen, Executive Member, FFB

“We had promised the players that we would have given them a portion of the money we agreed to one month after our Gold Cup tournament finished, which was the fifteenth of July.  So, on August fifteenth, we were supposed to disburse their first payment; however, we are still awaiting the Gold Cup participation money from CONCACAF.  That has not come in as yet and we expect that it will be here by either this week or by next week [at] the latest.”

Isani Cayetano

“There is sort of a rumbling amongst players that the money is overdue because of current expenses that they need to meet, in terms of either school reopening and other personal expenses that need to be defrayed.  I understand as well that the payment was supposed to have been staggered over time.  Can you expand on this?”

Marlon Kuylen

Marlon Kuylen

“Yes, the agreement was that we would give them five thousand dollars each: two thousand dollars on August fifteenth, two thousand dollars on September fifteenth and a thousand dollars on October fifteenth.  Unfortunately, it’s now the twenty-seventh and we cannot, we haven’t been able to secure the funds to pay the players as yet.  For the most part they are understanding that if we haven’t received that money as yet then they can’t be paid but then there’s other factors, like one of our players is getting married this weekend, he needs at least half of that money.  We have other players that they have other expenses like school supplies and stuff like that and I can’t blame them because now desperation is setting in.  I wish that we could be in a position whereby we could give them at least something in the meantime but we just don’t have it.  Now, some people will say well the president just went out of the country today.  Yes, he did, but he’s in Guatemala being a match commissioner for a game tomorrow and all those expenses are being paid by CONCACAF.  Whilst you might see activities happening it doesn’t mean that it’s from FFB’s money.”

Isani Cayetano

“What does this situation do for the morale of these players going into the future with regards to either upcoming games on a calendar or just getting their support or their participation going forward?”

Marlon Kuylen

“I think it will, to a certain extent, demoralize them but, on another [note], we have to be realistic when we are negotiating next time.  They came up and they made these demands right before we left and they put us in a position whereby we didn’t have time to bargain.”

Failure to dispense the outstanding balance by next week would mean that the F.F.B. will have to explore other options to raise the total needed to pay the players.