DILI (TOP) – The head of the Timor – Leste Football Federation, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo after his FRETILIN party lost in parliamentary elections last May, now had to face new demands from 16 football associations for allegedly being unable to develop the fate of football in this small country.
Francisco Jeronimo, who was also the former Ministry for Parliamentarian Affairs and Social Communication in the eighth government, was re-elected as chairman of the Timor-Leste Football Federation on Saturday 26 February 2022 with a total of 11 votes, and defeated Nilton Gusmão who only got 10 votes at that time in Hotel Novo Turismo Dili.
After being elected, Jeronimo promised that he and his team would improve several football fields in Timor – Leste to meet international standards, bring up the women's football league to all corners, give opportunities to youth from all municipalities to compete in the FFTL Cup, and others, but to this day he has failed to keep his promise.
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With this inability, 16 football associations used the opportunity for the FFTL ordinary congress on Saturday 1 July 2023 to immediately demand an extraordinary congress immediately because the head of the football federation Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo has failed to keep his promise from 2022 until now.
The spokesman for 16 football associations, Hipólito Soares stated that all football associations had agreed to hold an extraordinary congress to immediately terminate Jeronimo from his position as chairman of the Timor – Leste Football Federation because he was unable to develop and build this sector going forward, and also lied too much by never keeping his promise from 2022 until now.
According to Hatutan.com that the Federasaun Futebol Timor – Leste (FFTL) or the Timor-Leste Football Federation has held its eighth ordinary congress today, but the atmosphere of the congress has been blocked by demands to immediately advance to an extraordinary congress from the 16th football association, but the extraordinary congress did not take place because according to the FFTL statutes in article 33 that have to wait until 90 days or around three months can hold an extraordinary congress, and also the FFTL must inform FIFA of this election day.
With this obstacle, the congress finally decided to vote, in the end the majority chose to immediately hold an extraordinary congress to replace Jeronimo. After the results of the election, the FFTL executive will communicate with FIFA about the schedule for an extraordinary congress, and according to the FFTL statutes in article 33 that the time frame for holding an extraordinary congress is 90 days or three months.
"We demand an extraordinary congress with the aim that there must be changes in FFTL in order to build the destiny of football in our country," said spokesman Hipólito Soares, quoted by The Oe-Kusi Post (TOP) from Hatutan.com.
The demands of the 16 football associations are in accordance with the FFTL statutes in article 33 which states that, if you want changes to the FFTL structure, you have to go through a unique way and the highest is an extraordinary congress.
"We convey peacefully that we want an extraordinary congress. Our request is that on September 1, 2023 there should be an extraordinary congress but we are still waiting for it from FIFA. If you want change, you have to hold an extraordinary congress immediately,” emphasized Hipólito.
The chairman of the FFTL or the chairman of the Timor – Leste Football Federation, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo has respected the outcome of the football associations' choice regarding the demands of the extraordinary congress, and he asked the football association chairmen to give him time to communicate with FIFA because To carry out an extraordinary congress also requires funds.
"I don't want to talk too much but please give us time to communicate with FIFA about the schedule of the extraordinary congress," Jeronimo explained.
Jeronimo has also been filled with several scandals, namely allegedly giving a SET TOP BOX installation project to his secretary whose case is currently still ongoing at the Dili prosecutor's office, and the Attorney General Office already constitutes Jeronimo with the defendant on corruption allegation.
