By Paul Nicholson
February 10 – The central American federations that form the UNCAF regional body that is part of CONCACAF, have moved swiftly to show their support for Canadian Victor Montagliani in his bid for the confederation’s presidency. But their declaration has been met with accusations that CONCACAF’s old guard are skewing the election to their man.
The seven associations have similarly backed Gianni Infantino as a block for the FIFA presidency.
Montagliani only publicly announced his presidential candidature earlier this week but UNCAF say their decision to block support him was taken at a meeting held in Panama City on January 25.
CONCACAF had gathered a number of federations together in Panama for club licensing meetings. At that time the only declared candidate for the presidency, Mark Rodriguez from Guyana, was told he could not attend.
Clearly Montagliani, a CONCACAF executive committee member and president of the Canadian football associaiton, declared his intentions to assembled federations in Panama and successfully lobbied for their votes. Montagliani was also a member of Francois Carrard’s FIFA reform committee.
Yesterday UNCAF circulated a letter (see below) signed by all seven of its federation presidents and UNCAF president Rafael Tinoco saying: “… the seven Member Associations that form the Central American Football Union, UNCAF, have decided to inform their position taken on their Meeting held in Panama City on January 25, 2016. By which they give their support and trust to Mr. Victor Montagliani, to become President of Confederation and his objective of creating one CONCACAF.”
“I wrote to Mr Tinoco asking to be able to attend but I didn’t get a response,” said Rodriguez.
He has also been refused accreditation by CONCACAF for meetings at the end of this week in Miami where federations will discuss reform proposals and in particular Caribbean concerns that their influence in the confederation’s decision making processes will be lost.
Rodriguez said that he wasn’t expecting an easy ride in the election contest but that he hadn’t expected the extent to which he would be “denied the opportunity of a fair and equal campaign. This way of running things really has to stop.”
Rodriguez said that he will now be “a lot more forthright and direct in my delivery. The public has to know. Nothing in CONCACAF is really changing. The old guard are just finding a different way to protect their own personal agendas.”
Speaking to Insideworldfootball while at an event in Houston he remarked: “We talk a lot about Fair Play in the game and we even have a flag that we roll out before matches. Where is the fair play when it comes to our own presidential election? We couldn’t bring that flag out.”
Rodriguez, despite being denied accreditation, will nevertheless travel to Miami to lobby member associations.
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