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Victor Montagliani, the Canada Soccer Association (CSA) president, was today elected CONCACAF president at the football confederation’s 31st ordinary congress in Mexico City, Mexico.
Montagliani comfortably defeated Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Larry Mussenden 25-16 in an election that saw Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Gordon Derrick controversially debarred from participating.
The result marks the first time that a non-Caribbean official was elected as CONCACAF president since Trinidad and Tobago’s Jack Warner ousted Mexico’s Joaquin Terrazas in 1990.
Warner’s compatriot, Joanne Salazar, also stood for a CONCACAF position today—barely six months into her stint as Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) vice-president—but was soundly beaten 27-8 by Turks and Caicos Island’s Sonia Bien-Aime for the post of Female Member, which carries an automatic FIFA appointment.
Salazar, who was an unknown in local football circles before she rode to prominence with current local president David John-Williams, was always a long shot. Montagliani’s rise to power was of far greater significance.
The Canadian, who speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian, was openly supported by all 10 Central and North American nations as well as Haiti and all three Spanish-speaking Caribbean nations: Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Today, Montagliani grabbed another 11 votes. It is likely there was a split along language and cultural lines.
The Caribbean’s 31 nations in CONCACAF are divided into 18 English-speaking islands and five French, five Dutch and three Spanish-speaking nations respectively.
Mussenden, a former Attorney General in Bermuda, would have won easily if he could have united the Caribbean. But Montagliani proved irresistible to French, Dutch and Spanish speaking islanders as well as at least two of the English-speaking Caribbean nations.
“The walls are down,” said Montagliani, after his rise to top post. “It’s time to come together as one CONCACAF.”
In truth, Montagliani, who backed current FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the 26 February 2016 election in Zurich, owed much to the exclusion of CFU president Derrick, who was banned from taking part by FIFA due to his alleged role in the Mohamed Bin Hammam 2011 bribery scandal.
Derrick was reprimanded and received a 300 Swiss franc (TT$2,057) fine, in the aftermath of the controversial episode which led to Warner’s expulsion.
(Courtesy Jinelle James/WOLF)
Paradoxically, Jamaica’s Horace Burrell received a six-month by FIFA for his own part in the bribery scandal, yet remains an executive CONCACAF member while Derrick was not allowed to contest the head position.
Burrell remains a CONCACAF executive member alongside Mexico’s Justin Compean, Panama’s Pedro Chaluja, Cuba’s Luis Hernandez and the United States’ Sunil Gulati.
(Today’s CONCACAF election results)
CONCACAF president: Victor Montagliani (Canada)
Vice-President—Central America (UNCAF): Rodolfo Villalobos (Costa Rica)
(FIFA Members)
Caribbean (CFU): Luis Hernandez (Cuba)
Central America (UNCAF): Pedro Chaluja (Panama)
Female: Sonia Bien-Aime (Turks and Caicos)
(Courtesy FIFA)
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..Not Canada. USA..
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/13/concacaf-president-victor-montagliani-confederation-football
Canada must be thinking “is we time now”.
This is sad
Our watch has ended…
I thought it passing strange that a Canadian became president especially as their football is currently in a decline.
Not sure if it’s in decline to be fair – since I’m not sure if they have reached any major heights in football to drop off from
Their football is at a interesting phase right now where they can blossom and be a real force in CONCACAF or stagnate further behind hockey and basketball
Canada is a former World Cup qualifier and Gold Cup winner.
Lasana Liburd forgot about that ha
And am glad
Are the powers that be against CFU because they see it as a voting threat? Or would the new CONCACAF President give the Caribbean even more support to make a positive mark?
It is an interesting dance. Concacaf must give the Caribbean enough to prevent revolt but not too much to make it strong and independent.
..And Salazar’s candidacy was a bold face joke. You can’t just “wash yuh foot and jump in”. Or maybe you can..
I don’t understand why she felt she had something to offer CONCACAF and FIFA in less than six months in organised football.
I’ve heard mostly complementary stuff about her so far. So it isn’t that she is useless by any means. But I’m scratching my head at her ambition.
..The scent of office..
I don’t know what to make of the notion that she already wants to move on from the TTFA to something bigger and better.
Shouldn’t she want to accomplish something here first?
..Precisely. And the administration she belongs to is failing massively so far..
Well, he deserves a shot. The Caribbean countries had their chance and many chose to side with corruption, cronyism, and a lack of transparency. Let’s see what he does.
Caribbean leaders were all about self.
“…were”? When did that change?
wow….a lot of Caribbean countries voted for Victor then?
Yes. 15 in all.
“Leaders” is a word thrown about pretty loosely but they are really in short supply..imho
Kyon the US ahead their way when they had he World Cup
years ago..wants never cease
No duhhh, but this will benefit Soccer Canada
Actually Canada and USA are already considering a joint World Cup bid.
Then definitely there’s going to be some corporate corruption there
Of course if CONCACAF’s Caribbean leaders had done anything for region during time in power, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
Exactly lasana….all the years and absolutely nothing and some who were involved are still mumbling…
Canadians busy these days. Lol.
the US finally gets what they want
Interesting days ahead. So they have to keep the Caribbean divided to retain power. I’m interested to see what that means for regional tournaments and so on.
Or even CFU funding.
Bwahahahahahah. Corruption of a different kind
Congrats to the new CONCACAF President.
..Plenty around. No shortage..
Keith, all they need now is a Caribbean puppet who knows his place and they’re good to go. 😉