A few weeks ago we told you about the internal power struggle within the Football Federation of Belize. Three of the executive members - Cruz Gamez, Marlon
Kuylen, and Sergio Chuc tried to have president Ruperto Vicente suspended. They accused him of making poor administrative decisions that were not in the
best interest of the sport and of manipulating the elections of the district associations- a plot to ensure his re-election. If this sounds like déjà vu,
it is because former President Dr. Bertie Chimilio went down under these same accusations. But, not so easy with Vicente. The attempt to suspend him failed
due to a technicality. In an interview with him yesterday he told us that he holds no grudges, against these three executive members, but that, at the same
time, he doesn't blame them for wanting to be like him- making an allusion to the belief that those three execs were after his president's seat.
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"I never glory in people's failure; I don't take pride in that. I continue to be the garden of football in this country and I will not allow myself to
be distracted. It's gone and the football work continues and I must be pay attention to that. I cannot allow myself to be distracted so I hold nothing
against anybody because that is not my responsibility. I believe that every time we have an experience, it is because god wants us to go through this
and god is teaching me a lesson. God allows it so that I could become a better person in life and more specifically for football and for that I am very
grateful."
Emauel Pech
"You think it was a malicious attempt to make sure you're out of the way when the elections are called."
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"(Laughs) Let me put it to you this way, I have always believed in human capita. I'm a believer in a god who created everybody and I also believe that
god never created bad people. I read a quote once that said people don't hate you because they want to hate you, they hate you because 1, they hate
themselves. 2 they don't like themselves, 3 they want to be like you and I don't fault people to want to be like me; as far as I'm concerned I am a
good person, not only handsome but good."
Emanuel Pech
"But regardless, is it your belief that they tried to stir the invited environment for you to lose the elections?"
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"Certainly and people will want to do that. Again there are ways of going about doing things and I've said before that sometimes we go about doing
things the wrong way and it has it consequences. Every action in the world has its consequences and if you do something wrong then yes expect the wrong
result and that is what happened in this point."
The rumblings within the federation were brought to the attention of international football representatives. And now, we understand that CONCOCAF
representative Marco Leal, has agreed to act as an informal oversight for the elections in the coming weeks. So how does this stand with the president
of FFB who has been accused of election fixing? Well according to Vicente, the fact that Leal will be present during the elections is completely
unrelated to the recent political squabble within the federation.
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"Normally when we have an election we invite UNCAF, CONCAF and FIFA to be observers in our election so we always do that. And from time of memorial
we've invited these 3 organisations to be here whenever there is an election."
Emanuel Pech
"So this is nothing new?"
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"It's nothing new; it's not a new thing."
Emanuel Pech
"As a result of the recent rumblings."
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"No not really. We have always invited them; we want them to be here whenever there is an election."
Emanuel Pech
"Now sir we know elections is just around the corner, do you expect to win again?"
Ruperto Vicente - President, FFB
"Well going into any contest you never go in to fail and I expect to win yes."
Federation elections are scheduled to take place on April 30th at the FFB headquarters.
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