Revisit players cut in World Cup $$
By David Maynard (T&T Mirror)
THAT agreement between players and TTFF for a small cut in the $30 million from FIFA for qualifying for the World Cup finals must be nullified.
Until that is done, government should act responsibly and withhold the release of any of that $55 million requested by TTFF.
They should then insist on total transparency re that qualifying money.
Then, once that is accomplished (that is, if it were ever possible to get the truth out of TTFF) appoint suitably qualified persons to negotiate with TTFF on the players’ behalf.
That would be the responsible thing to do in light of the latest discovery by investigative reporter Lasana Liburd that TTFF lied to the players (and public) in saying that the FIFA cash reward was subject to tax in Germany.
TTFF’s own TTFF Media, in Press reports submitted to the local media last month, indicated that a high-powered TTFF team of businessmen led by Jack Warner, Bruce Aanensen, Raymond Tim Kee and Mike Berry held negotiations in London on Sunday, January 8, with players led by Stern John, Shaka Hislop, Brent Sancho, Dennis Lawrence, Kelvin Jack and Marvin Andrews.
Players were told: “As is the case for federations and associations of all qualified countries, 25.1 per cent of the six million Swiss francs is also withheld by FIFA for German taxes and insurance for injured players during the World Cup.”
On the basis of this, players agreed to a payment (within a points-per-match structure) from the stated balance, less some (US) $36,822 “towards local charities”.
The claim at that London meeting echoed sentiments by Warner at a Press conference five days earlier that: “The fact is the German government taxes 21 per cent of the money.
“Then they take five per cent for insurance and therefore what you get in your hand is 74 per cent.”
Contrary to that, Liburd learnt from German Organising Committee Press spokesman Gerd Grauss that former Finance Minister Oskar LaFontaine as a precondition to winning the bid to host the finals had signed a tax exemption since 1999.
To further compound the fact -- the true fact, that is -- FIFA media chief Andre as Herren confirmed that TTFF “will not pay tax on its appearance money”.
Putting the question of tax and insurance in proper context, Herren told the investigator that “there would be a 21 per cent tax on World Cup premiums paid out to players while five per cent would be held for insurance until after the competition”.
Whatever context you put “premiums paid out to players”, it is certainly not the entire qualifying/appearance package that is being taxed or drawn on for insurance.
This means that the deal made with players is flawed.
It was done under false pretences.
Even if such false pretences were a mere error or misunderstanding of the facts, it still influenced the agreement by players, and thus that agreement is flawed.
It should therefore be rendered null and void.
Even if it were excused as an error, there should be no mere case of just adjusting the figure; the entire deal must be revisited.
And professionals must be called in with the likes of Warner who is described by political colleagues as a “a simple man, trying to make it in a rough world” via “prudent business decisions”, Aanensen a retired banker who, it is fair to say, thinks of ways to make and keep money, Tim Kee who is an insurance executive and the one whose agency had been used to “cover” players in the early days; and business opportunist Berry in the same trade of spinning money.
No one is saying players are stupid -- after all many have degrees from reputable universities in other parts of the world -- but I agree with the view that one cannot expect to put men who dream money day-in-day-out against players whose “simple-minded” concerns and/or decisions would centre around staying off the bench and getting paid on time.
As one sincerely concerned fan put it, these players would pay to represent the national team if they have to.
That does not give anyone the right to pay them next to nothing, fleece them or short-change them.
They have neither the skill nor information to negotiate with someone of Warner’s business acumen.
In short, they need protection and in lieu of a players’ association, someone in higher authority, in this case government who has already put out over $33 million on football or football development for this past year alone and is now being asked to pump another $55 million just for the World Cup finals.
They must see the need to hold their hands on any disbursement because, in light of Liburd’s exposé, the budget presented by Warner and the TTFF would also be flawed.
That $55 million budget reflected income from the World Cup as being “taxed” by Germany -- not just the players’ portion, the entire six million francs for qualifying.
It would be total negligence on the part of government to knowingly put public funds into this type of situation.
Whereas Warner may be faultless in this issue and, for all we know, may even have told players the “tax thing” would have to be checked, one must still be ever-vigilant where transparency and accountability are concerned, no matter who is involved.
And that has nothing to do with keeping a constant check on “a simple man, trying to make it in a rough world” via “prudent business decisions” while his national association remains debt-ridden and true development of the game in his country mere hearsay.
