Burrell speaks out - JFF boss urges clubs, players to respect FIFA match dates

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica Football Federation head, Captain Horace Burrell, is urging the national players who ply their trade abroad, and the clubs they represent, to be cognisant of the importance of the FIFA-appointed dates for national teams to engage in international friendlies.

Burrell's request comes on the back of the Jamaica's international friendly match against China, which was played earlier this month and saw 11 of the players called up for the match not making the trip for one reason or the other. The much-depleted Reggae Boyz team lost 1-0 to the 73rd-ranked Chinese.

"I am hopeful that they (players) are cognisant of the importance of the games, because they are the ones who are set to benefit," Burrell said. "I cannot overemphasise to our players the importance of making themselves available and performing well during these friendlies so that we don't fall below a particular line on the FIFA ranking, where they are not going to be able to get contracts to go into the United Kingdom where all of our players want to go and ply their trade," he added.

According to Burrell, he is trying to work as best as possible with the clubs to secure the services of the players, while ensuring that harmony is maintained between both parties.

Selfish clubs

"FIFA dates are set by the world's governing body to ensure that there is harmony between the clubs and the national associations. However, from time to time clubs have certain commitments that they cannot get out of and the associations sometimes have to understand that," Burrell shared. "However, some clubs are just being very selfish and not wanting to release the players at all."

He added: "In cases where the request coming from the club is genuine we will definitely work with the clubs, but in other cases where it is a case where the clubs just don't want to release the players, we are not going to accept that."

According to FIFA rules: "Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the representative teams of the country for which the player is eligible to play on the basis of his nationality if they are called up by the association concerned. Any agreement between a player and a club to the contrary is prohibited."

National senior coach Theodore Whitmore will be hoping that this rule is adhered to by the various clubs, so he will have a stronger team at his disposal on September 2 when the 44th-ranked Reggae Boyz are slated to play their next international friendly against the 67th-ranked Ecuadorian national team in Quito.

The federation is also working feverishly to secure another friendly encounter on September 6, which is also a FIFA date.

Football fans will have to wait for sometime yet to see the Reggae Boyz in action locally, as Burrell does not view it to be financial feasible.

"The cost to stage a game locally is prohibitive and we are currently not in a good position where that is concerned," Burrell disclosed. "A meeting date has been set with Independence Park Limited (the body charged with managing the National Stadium) to discuss all these concerns," he added.