TTFA ANNOUNCES ELITE LEAGUE DETAILS
TTFA ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR NEW ELITE LEAGUE
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association today hosted a joint Press Conference with the Ministry of Sport and Sportt Company of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with FIFA and Concacaf to announce plans for the new TTFA Elite League set to get underway in 2023.
FIFA Normalization Committee Chairman Robert Hadad disclosed plans for the new way forward for domestic top-tier football in the country and Douglas Camacho, Chairman of Sportt spoke of the Government’s committment and support towards local football through its partnership with the TTFA for the new league.
Also in attendance were FIFA representatives Hervé Blanchard, FIFA Regional Office Development Manager and Jordan Victorie, FIFA Regional Office Development Coordinator as well as Jonathan Martinez – Concacaf’s Head of Professional Football Development, all of whom spoke in support of the new League initiative.
Other TTFA Officials on hand were Technical Director Anton Corneal, NC member Nicholas Gomez, TTFA General Secretary (Ag) Amiel Mohammed, Director of National Teams Richard Piper and Competitions manager Sharon O’Brien.
From the Leagues, appearing were Pro League Deputy Chairman Brent Sancho and Super League President Lee Davis as well as other Sportt officials Gabre McTair (Director Physical Education and Sport), SporTT CEO Jason Williams, Kairon Serrette, Project Lead of the League Development Program for Trinidad & Tobago and Justin Latapy-George, Head of Sport Development for SporTT.
“The TTFA, the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, FIFA and Concacaf are united in our beliefs and approaches to remediate football. The Normalization Committee of the TTFA is tremendously appreciative of their support and we believe that we are finally at a juncture where new life can be breathed into the football landscape again,” Hadad said in his opening statement.
“We are also really encouraged to announce the development of the New Elite League structure which will be supported by the Ministry of Sport and Community Development. FIFA and Concacaf have also indicated their intentions to offer support in different ways for this league development. We will be finalizing the structure with the clubs over the next few weeks, with a targeted kick off in early 2023,” Hadad disclosed.
He spoke on the structure of the new league, adding, “The pandemic has struck down professional football and overall sports development over the last few years. However having navigated the BIA process and with the support of the Honourable Minister and her team, we believe that there is a lot to look forward to regarding professional football in the near future.
“The new structure will feature a transitional first season in early 2023 as mentioned. During this transitional league, a committee featuring representatives from the club stakeholders, TTFA, the Government and independent qualified professionals will work towards establishing the New Elite League structure on a long-term basis with a projected kick off of the full league season to run from September/October 2023 to May 2024.
“The composition of this committee will be finalized in conjunction with the stakeholders of this league structure and announced at the formal launch of the league. Depending on the number of clubs who qualify to enter the Transitional League, there may have two divisions which will be finalized after discussions with the clubs.”
The TTFA has undergone extensive internal governance and systematic restructuring over the last few years and it is important that the clubs are also administratively structured according to best practices.
Hadad stated that emphasis will be placed on getting local clubs fully compliant.
“With this in mind, clubs that would like to compete in the top division of the New Elite League structure must fulfill TTFA and Concacaf Club Licensing requirements to be granted a regional level licence. For clubs that may require more time to put internal structures in place, the domestic level licence will allow them to participate in division two. The Club Licensing regulations are guidelines to help standardize football operations with range from the submission of audited accounts, organizational charts, legal registrations and at least one youth team.
“I am really pleased that we have Concacaf Head of Professional Football Development Jonathan Martinez here today to support the intention to have as many clubs in Trinidad and Tobago licensed. Club licensing is a pre requisite to have Trinidad and Tobago clubs compete once again at the Concacaf level and I know that Jonathan and his team are excited at the prospect of the red, white and black being represented at the new Concacaf Club Championship format which kicks off in 2023.
The top two teams from Division 1 of the New Elite League format will now qualify for this prestigious Concacaf competition. According to Hadad, the names of these clubs must be submitted to Concacaf by mid – 2023.
“Football in Trinidad and Tobago has a bright future. It is important for all of us – Administrators, Coaches, Players, Officials – to work together to put the right structures in place and to allow for this sport that we all love to grow and be at a standard that we are all proud of,” Hadad concluded.
PRESS POINTS
Elite football returns to Trinidad and Tobago in early 2023 with a transitional league, which will be followed by a main nine-month long competition to be run from September 2023 to May 2024.
Detail of the league’s composition, funding, prize structure and player remuneration are still to be worked out, with Hadad indicating that discussion with TT Pro League and Super League clubs will begin soon. No decision has yet been made whether to hold a one division league or a tournament comprising both a top and second-tier division.
Government’s involvement in the project was presented by Sports Company chairman Douglas Camacho, in the absence of Minister of Sport Shamfa Cudjoe. Elite football will now revert to TTFA control and reading from Camacho’s input, the SporTT will also only fund football at the elite level, based on the condition that it is sanctioned by both the TTFA and by FIFA, world football’s governing body.
“It is the intention of the government, through the SporTT Company, to fund the Pro League as agreed to by FIFA and the local governing body,” stated Camacho. “We are prepared to support any league that is signed off on by FIFA and the administrators of football that makes sense.”
See Clips below from Tuesday’s Press Conference
