Genoa face FIFA sanctions over million dollar W Connection debt

Italian Serie A club, Genoa FC, could face disciplinary action after failing to meet a FIFA deadline with regards to a defaulted payment due to Trinidad and Tobago Pro League champion club, DIRECTV W Connection, over St Lucia international midfielder Zaine Pierre.

Pierre, who is now 21, joined Genoa in 2012 after two years with Connection where he played primarily with the youth team and made less than a handful of senior appearances. However, once the Italian outfit made the initial down payment for the St Lucian and acquired his international clearance, the club never completed his transfer fee.

Photo: Former W Connection midfielder Zaine Pierre in action for Aversa Normanna in Serie C. Pierre, a St Lucia international, was signed by Genoa FC in 2012.
Photo: Former W Connection midfielder Zaine Pierre in action for Aversa Normanna in Serie C.
Pierre, a St Lucia international, was signed by Genoa FC in 2012.

On 21 April 2014, the FIFA Players Status Committee ruled on behalf of Connection and ordered Genoa to pay €125,000 (TT$985,600) plus five percent interest and costs for the legal proceedings by a deadline of 18 September 2014. Genoa was mandated to show proof of payment to FIFA.

Genoa allegedly failed to meet this deadline; and, as a result, the case is likely to be forwarded to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

At present, Pierre, who reportedly had two major operations since his move to Italy, is on loan with Serie C outfit, SF Aversa Normanna. He has twice appeared on the substitutes’ bench for Genoa since his transfer to Italy but never played for his employer.

“I’m one who takes my job really seriously,” Pierre told the St Lucia News Online, in an interview last month. “Even when I’m not playing, I’m studying, in all ways you can think of. Being out of the game these two years made me angry, made me develop that hunger to prove something… “I just keep working as I always do… because the football is tough, really tough. It’s ‘Go hard or go home.’”

Connection is due an additional payment if Pierre appears in Serie A for Genoa.

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16 comments

  1. Woow…another attacked on w.connection fc by this so called agent of the football game…he calls the signing of an 18 year old to Italian serie A a bone head move. its a good thing this so called football agent hasn’t had any major happenings with young talent in the country. …he sends a player or or two to Belgium then it seems he is the best representative in the world….the same agent who was calling and trying to disturb our players while in france on trials… a man who had the most unpleasant things to say about terry fenwick whom for a moment he thought was the best thing since slice bread… an agent who would ask a player’s family to buy his own ticket to go on a trial… and agent who tried to get central fc to take monies from the players income because central fc wouldn’t negotiate any further on their stipulated price…..woow its amazing that this agent is trying to convince the population that a long term contract for a youngster in italy series a is a bone head move….grandioso of an agent …..woow…back to u smart man…

  2. Once again another bone head move sending a player 2 a club and a country where he has no chance of making a team now the player just wasting precious yrs of his career

  3. Earl Jean anything like that share it. And share with me in particular.

  4. Yes …but no one speaks so thanks again to lasana..
    Keep doing your work bro…and keep strong presi..fight them all the way…

  5. Something has to be said cause they’ll take advantage always.

  6. Its not easy out there very vicious at times..

  7. Its time they pay for our talented youngsters and if you dont want him let him go….but genoa are aware that zaine has been getting great reviews in series C and the last few months writers have paid tribute to the talent and tactical awareness of the player and also said he is destined to join a serie A club…the young boy is so humble, he just want to play football and make his family proud…well we the coaches, players management at w.connection fc and the st lucian public are really proud of his efforts thus far and we are awaiting great things from zaine …good luck my boy…

  8. If that’s the case the greats wouldn’t have been. What are they looking for the perfect athlete? I have bad news. Let them stay there.

  9. Its not that…the top clubs in Europe don’t have respect for the lesser teams in our region so they thought it would just die a slow death. ….but little did they know our very passionate and beloved president david john Williams would by no means take this lightly, his brain child. ..w.c.f.c

  10. I mean if you don’t want him just release him

  11. But two years? That’s a lifetime

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