By Paul Nicholson in Los Angeles
July 7 – It could become a football quiz question. Which is the only confederation in world football where every country has a beach? The answer is CONCACAF, the confederation that covers north and central America and the Caribbean.
But life has been far from a beach for this Confederation over the past year.
Shaking off the scandals of its past and beginning the task of winning back the trust of many of its federations – and similarly trust in some of those federations – doesn’t happen overnight. But there is momentum building and the opening reception in Santa Monica for the Gold Cup, CONCACAF’s biennial showcase, certainly had a ‘new-dawn’ feeling.
“I can’t wait for the football to begin tomorrow. I really can’t wait,” said President Jeffrey Webb, the day before the opening matches at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. “After everything that we have done within the confederation this year, this is what it is all about, playing football.”
The Integrity report that detailed former president Jack Warner and general secretary Chuck Blazer’s running of the confederation was a watershed moment for the Confederation in terms of airing the dirty linen of the past. The Gold Cup turns another page, and while it doesn’t close the book on the past, it has the feel of a ‘coming out’ party for a revamped organisation that has new executives, a myriad of new initiatives and a much more embracing approach.
Federation presidents from across the region all said the same thing. CONCACAF has opened up, they feel involved and included in the management process.
One Caribbean president who preferred not to be named said, “in the past we weren’t included. There was a control and the focus wasn’t on developing football but on votes and what those votes could do. This has changed. A lot of the same people are still around, but there is change and we are starting to come out.”
“It has been a hard year,” said Webb, “and we still have a lot to do. And we are doing a lot already.”
You can feel a new page turning.
The number of new initiatives within the confederation is growing.
Before the Gold Cup opening the confederation held their first elite referees seminar, bringing in referees who they had identified as potential top-class officials but have not yet been tested. They will shadow the appointed officials and gain vital experience. The Gold Cup is the second major tournament to trial the Footline spray for free kicks.
Elsewhere the confederation is launching its first coaching licensing system – it is starting with a D license; it is developing a club licensing programme; it has pledged $4.1 million for grassroots development ($100,000 per federation on a strict project criteria); it has boosted its development programmes to have U-15 boys and girls tournaments every two years.
There are now 13 working committees.
The Gold Cup opening party was held in a hanger at Santa Monica airport. As one president remarked: “You know what, this is an appropriate location. If you are in football you see a lot of airports.”
The Gold Cup is ready for take-off.