FIFA Says Suspended Trinidad And Tobago Football Association Over Statutes' Violations

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2020) The Bureau of the FIFA Council has suspended the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) because of serious violations of the FIFA Statutes.

"The Bureau of the FIFA Council today suspended the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) with immediate effect due to grave violations of the FIFA Statutes," FIFA said in a statement on Thursday.

The suspension came because of the decision of the former TTFA leadership to lodge a claim to a court in Trinidad and Tobago in an attempt to challenge the appointment of a normalization committee for the TTFA by the FIFA Council.

"This course of action was in direct breach of article 59 of the FIFA Statutes, which expressly prohibits recourse to ordinary courts unless specifically provided for in the FIFA regulations," the statement said.

FIFA believes that the decision of the former TTFA leadership to contest FIFA moves in a local court was undermining the global football governance structure that relies only on the Court of Arbitration for Sport as a tool of settling disputes.

"This suspension will only be lifted when the TTFA fully complies with its obligations as a member of FIFA, including recognizing the legitimacy of the appointed normalization committee and bringing its own statutes into line with the FIFA Statutes," FIFA added.

Wednesday was set as a deadline for the former TTFA leadership to withdraw the case and FIFA suspended the association as its demand was not fulfilled.