FIFA threatens TTFA with suspension

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Lawyers for the William Wallace (pictured) executive had filed an application in the Trinidad and Tobago High Court seeking a permanent injunction against FIFA’s interference.
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FIFA has threatened to ban Trinidad and Tobago from international football should the ousted leadership of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) fail to withdraw their claim currently before the Trinidad and Tobago High Court by September 16.

On May 18, lawyers for the William-Wallace executive had filed an application in the Trinidad and Tobago High Court seeking a permanent injunction to prevent FIFA from interfering or seeking to override the “fair and transparent democratic processes of the TTFA and/or preventing them from removing the executive of duly elected officers from office.”

FIFA filed an appeal that was dismissed by the High Court. The ruling is being appealed by FIFA on the grounds that the judge made several errors in arriving at her decision.

Apparently, increasingly frustrated at being unable to have the dispute resolved, FIFA has now decided to flex its muscles.

In a letter to the head of the Normalisation Committee Robert Hadad on Wednesday, FIFA said it was “extremely concerned regarding the decision of the claim and the arguments used to dismiss FIFA’s application. In this context, we draw your attention to article 59 of the FIFA statutes, which expressly contains the prohibition of recourse to ordinary courts of law unless specifically provided for.

“FIFA takes such a principle with the utmost seriousness and therefore considers that it is the responsibility of its member associations to ensure that this principle is implemented. We further wish to underline that the failure to meet these obligations may, according to article 14 paragraph 4 of the FIFA statutes, lead to sanctions as provided for in the FIFA statutes, including a possible suspension.”

FIFA said its primary objective is that TTFA, as member of FIFA, shall mandatorily respect and implement their obligations, provided in the FIFA statutes and that the aforementioned developments seriously derail the objective.

Football’s governing body insisted that the only recognised path to resolve the ongoing dispute is the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and requested the TTFA to ask the TTFA former leadership for an immediate withdrawal of the claim at the Trinidad and Tobago High Court by 16 September 2020, at the latest.

It said that failure to comply with this directive would result in the commencement of suspension proceedings via the relevant FIFA bodies. (www.sportsmax.tv)

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