PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has reiterated to ousted Trinidad and Tobago FA officials that its normalisation committee remains the sole authority for football governance here.
In a letter to Normalisation Committee chairman, Robert Hadad, FIFA said the “only legitimate leadership” it recognised was the committee.
The correspondence by FIFA came in the wake of a letter sent to the Trinidad government by ousted president William Wallace, stating that he and his executive remained the constitutionally elected leaders of the embattled local governing body.
“It has come to our attention that a letter, dated 16 April 2020, from Mr William Wallace was addressed to the Trinidad and Tobago Minister of National Security, Mr Stewart Young MP,” FIFA said in a letter signed by general secretary, Fatma Samoura.
“This letter seems to allege that Mr William Wallace, Mr Clynt Taylor, Ms Susan Joseph-Warrick and Mr Joseph Sam Phillip continue to be members of the Executive Committee of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) and that the Normalisation Committee led by Mr Robert Hadad has no legal or other standings in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The letter added: “In this context, we draw your attention to the fact that, on 17 March 2020, the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided, in accordance with article 8 paragraph 2 of the FIFA Statutes, to appoint a normalisation committee at the TTFA.
“In this respect, we want to highlight that the only legitimate leadership of the TTFA, recognised by FIFA and CONCACAF, is the one led by Mr Robert Hadad.”
Government announced earlier this week that the TTFA’s controversial Home of Football complex would be used to house novel coronavirus patients.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said the facility had been “offered to the government” who had accepted the offer.
But Wallace, who closed the facility shortly after taking over as TTFA president last November, said in a letter to Young that the TTFA was “formed by an act of Parliament … and is to be governed by its constitution.”
“The constitution of the TTFA places the responsibility for negotiating and entering into any contracts or agreements on the president of the TTFA, a post I have held since 24th November 2019,” Wallace wrote.
However, in pushing back against Wallace’s claims, FIFA said any decisions concerning the facility would be Hadad’s remit.
“… any type of discussion regarding the use of Home of Football or any other football-related topic should be handled with Mr Robert Hadad,” FIFA stressed.
TTFA is challenging FIFA’s takeover of its football operations before the Court of Arbitration for Sports.
