OFF-SIDE

Article by RACHELLE AGARD

BARBADIAN FOOTBALLERS WHO play in the inaugural Islands Cup Open could be disqualified from national selection.

A high-ranking official confirmed that the new regional professional franchise tournament had not been sanctioned by FIFA or CONCACAF. In an exclusive interview with the MIDWEEK NATION, FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani said: “If you play in an unsanctioned league or an unsanctioned club and you get selected to play for your national team, then you cannot play for that national team.

“You can only be playing for your country’s national team if you are a registered player with a sanctioned club in a sanctioned federation.

“If a Barbados player goes to play for one of these Islands Cup clubs that is not sanctioned, and the coach wants to select him for national play, then he cannot play for Barbados. He would have to be registered with a sanctioned club anywhere in the world, but he may have to start from scratch depending on the timing of the situation.” (RA)

Please read the full story in today’s MIDWEEK NATION, or in the eNATION edition.