Trinidad and Tobago Football Association president William Wallace is accusing normalisation committee head Robert Hadad of reneging on a deal to pay local coaches the salaries owed them by the TTFA, and of trying to blame his deposed executive for the coaches’ situation.
FIFA replaced Wallace’s executive with the committee in March. When he challenged their dismissal through the High Court FIFA funding was stopped and access to the TTFA’s bank accounts withheld from both parties by First Citizens Bank. Trinidad and Tobago was also banned from international football for breaching FIFA’s statutes.
Wallace deduces that since FIFA recognises the normalisation committee and not his executive, Hadad thus has to take all the blame for the coaches not being paid. Hadad’s committee had agreed to pay outstanding sums to 54 national coaches after recent meetings with coaching and technical staff representatives. Wallace’s comments came in a release after Hadad suggested that his recent return to the High Court was responsible for coaches not being paid. Hadad also stated he had nothing further to say on the matter.
“It is passing strange that the NC got money to pay office staff, promised coaches payment, all this while our matter is before the court and suddenly, with no change in the status quo, is now using the court matter as an excuse to justify reneging on the commitment made to coaches,” Wallace’s statement said.
“We are fully cognisant that the reason for this recent position by the NC is to continue their public pressure on us to withdraw the matter from the court. This new strategy is to add the voice of the coaches to those voices out there that are singing for their supper,” Wallace added.
The court action against FIFA is due to begin on October 9 but, not having recognised the local court’s jurisdiction, FIFA will not offer a defence. Wallace stated that he had done nothing to impede the work of the normalisation committee by going back to court, noting FIFA has clearly stated that the normalisation committee is in charge of football.
Wallace has promised to meet with the TTFA membership in the near future to decide the direction in which football heads.
“We are asking the coaches to allow us the opportunity to right a wrong and to put football back into the hands of the membership, where it belongs. We beg your indulgence over the next two weeks and whatever the outcome, what is due to you will be honoured,” Wallace wrote.