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Bertie Chimilio

Chimilio's fourteen years came at a price. In his late night interview, he told News Five that he dedicated his life to the game at the expense of his family. His accolades were also lauded by the outgoing Sports Administrator Miley Garcia. And for those who criticized him over the years, Chimilio brushed them off and said he was eager to see what the new F.F.B. Executive would bring to the sport.

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

"Since 1999, we've had a U-17 and U-20 selection except for 2011 we didn't. We've had youth players leave this country. We've had youth players get scholarship-we have one in Honduras right now studying at a college and playing football. There came a time when we had fifteen international players abroad and all that is because of people who knew me and wanted to help football. If you go to women's football, I was the first to introduce women football with the national team. We took the women out despite the big scorns, we still took them out-we had the relevant programs for women. In terms of technical development, quite a number of coaches have been trained because of my leadership. Planning administration; we have this facility here now that had never existed, we have a stadium. Not even the government can build a sensible stadium, a simple stadium like what we have here. So that's just part of it. The ranking of the national team, the knowledge of the national team, the players abroad and we had three World Cup games here without incidents, in terms of infrastructure again you can see it-from zero dollars here in 2000 to eight pint seven five million Belize dollars now and that's without the fence. So we are well over twelve million dollars sitting down here. And the next step would have been trying to convert it into equity so we could get money to fund our football. So in a nutshell, that's what we have done. If I have to go in detail with everything that we have done, it will take the whole night. And I am a member of different committees of FIFA, CONCACAF, UNCAF; you know I have a lot of friends and contacts abroad. It is the end of a career, it is the end of someone who dedicated his life to the game at the expense of family, at the expense of friends but nonetheless let's see what these guys can do."

Miley Garcia

Miley Garcia

"Despite everything, I think we need to give thanks to Dr. Bertie Chimilio for the time that he has served. I think a number of things have happened. I mean first of all we saw the Gold project: we saw the construction of the changing rooms and the office here at the F.F.B. Compound here in Belmopan. After that we saw the building of the stadium. I think we need to thank him for his years of service, he has done his work and now I think that the football family has saw and have gotten a change in direction and we are looking forward to working certainly."

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

"I am still part of several committees in CONCACAF and FIFA. I have yet to see if they will want to keep me there. But I hold my head up high and I did along with my team-because it wasn't just me-we did what we had to do for the benefit for football in Belize. It will take time for them to really deliver because they'll have to work hard now. But let's wait and see."

Jose Sanchez

"Vicente says it's not the priority but he will look into the finances to see if any wrongdoings has been done. Is there anything there that he can find that may not have been above board?"

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

"No this is not about finances; football is far more than finances. So obviously he has already started off on the wrong foot if he comes with that. You first have to plan your football work and then you look for the finances. So if it is the finances that he is after, well I laugh. For me it's a big joke then. We have to look forward to our Belizean football going down if that is what he's saying. Instead of him talking about our youths, about women/men in the competition, instead of talking about the national team, infrastructural development, marketing and development; he goes straight to money. Oh my god! There are parameters set down by FIFA to use the money. So it is going to be a process for them too. I'm not just walking away leaving them like that; they have to learn because I don't think they know the intricacies of this. So it will be hard for them."

Jose Sanchez

"So you will offer your assistance to help them in this transition?"

Dr. Bertie Chimilio

"It has to. If we love football, we have to. I can't just walk away like that. We have to do the things the right way so that when they stand up they can move on. So it is not just like that man; they will understand or will have to understand.-this is not like the government where they have civil servants. There is going to have to be a transition period. Hopefully they will do better than I have done."

The elections were supervised by FIFA officials.

Channel 5

No witch hunt for former F.F.B. President, Dr. Bertie Chimilio

BErtie Chimilio

Vicente also says that the F.F.B. wants to work with Chimilio since he still represents football with several organizations. But regarding the empty bank account, and a lack of financial statements for the past decade, Vicente says that a commission of inquiry will review last year's financial statements, whenever they become available.

 

Ruperto Vicente, President F.F.B.

"Because we don't want the executive of the Federation being involved and engaged in any investigative matters, we're going to commission a commission of inquiry to look at irregularities in the finances of the Football Federation of Belize. But we are still waiting for the financial report from Dr. Chimilio. We are expecting that report this week."

 

Jose Sanchez

"You mentioned, I believe, a couple million dollars that the F.F.B. received over the past couple years. Is that correct?"

 

Ruperto Vicente

Ruperto Vicente

"Yeah. Last year we got one point eight million dollars. we have reports that indicate how those monies were spent and so we're going to accept it for what it is. It is amazing that we found contracts for the general secretary. The statues clearly declares or indicates that the general secretary life in the federation comes with that of the president. If the president is removed then the general secretary goes as well. So the new president always according to the statues appoints his general secretary. And in this case, the past general secretary has a contract until 2015. So we are reviewing that contract and to see the legality or illegality of that contract."

 

Jose Sanchez

"Being that you should choose your general secretary, who would it be assuming you would get the opportunity to do so shortly?"

 

Ruperto Vicente

"Well I have appointed my general secretary and he is Mr. Michael Blease. He has a wealth of knowledge about football and I believe he is going to be an asset to the F.F.B."

 

Michael Blease

Jose Sanchez

"So going back to what you said, there is no paperwork on how monies were spent; no paperwork on what monies would be coming from? You don't have anything."

 

Ruperto Vicente

"We don't have any paperwork to indicate to us how monies were spent and we're gonna have to establish those things. We do not have that and as soon as monies begin to roll into the F.F.B., we are going to set up a system that's going to show the public how our monies are spent."

 

Jose Sanchez

"But just to be assured, you are not looking for any legal matters against Mr. Chimilio, the former president or is that something that you'll also be looking at?"

 

Ruperto Vicente

"Definitely not. We are not going to take Dr. Chimilio to court and I'm gonna say that. Football, in fact FIFA does not encourage that kind of thing. You know, whatever irregularities may have found, we're gonna have to forward it to FIFA and then FIFA will advise us on the steps to take when it comes to Dr. Chimilio."

 

The F.F.B. executive is also going to Budapest for the CONCACAF extraordinary congress to be held on May twenty-third. During this time they will have a private session with the FIFA president at the FIFA congress which will be held on the twenty fourth.

Channel 5

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