From Stabroek News

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) has warned that any attempts to stage a professional football league in the region must be sanctioned by relevant governing bodies.

CFU General Secretary, Damien Hughes, issued the note of caution after two companies, earlier this week, announced plans to start a professional league in September next year.

“For franchises to be set up in countries, they have to go through national associations who have to get sanctioning from CFU, CONCACAF and FIFA,” said Hughes.

“And we have not engaged any company anywhere in the world to commence or even explore the commencement of a professional league.” The Caribbean Football Trust Limited, with offices in Florida and Canada, and Concorde Sports Agency, headquartered in Beverly Hills, say the proposed league, dubbed Major League Futbol (MLF), is expected to attract 20 teams from across the region vying for over US$3 million in prize money.

“Anything that is attempted independently is not going to be sustainable and I don’t think it is going to be possible,” the CFU General Secretary stated.

“The constitution of all the member organisations speaks to the processes and the steps and where permission and sanctioning and so on needs to come from”.

The organizers say prize monies are expected to grow to five million US dollars after the first three years of MLF. Last year, CONCACAF president, Jeffrey Webb, announced that a task force is to be established to look at the development of a professional league in the Caribbean.

“A professional league in the region is something that CONCACAF and the CFU entities have said is worth pursuing and exploring,” Hughes added.

“So any entity that is desirous of partnering with CFU or CONCACAF in a developmental initiative: The best approach would then be to present such a case to the respective bodies.”

For more on this story go to:

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/sports/01/25/caribbean-pro-league-must-sanctioned-says-cfu/