FIFPro World Players Union has asked Football Players Association of Malawi (Fpam) to be independent from Football Association of Malawi (FAM), Super League of Malawi (Sulom) and Malawi National Council of Sports.
Fpam applied for affiliation to FIFPro and the umbrella body for football players unions wants Fpam’s statutes to be in line with that of the mother body.
Delinking from Sulom, FAM and Sports Council and total autonomy from these bodies is one of the several recommendations, according to a letter signed by FIFPro general secretary Dodo Landu Domo, which we have seen.
“The committee during its May 30 meeting in Victoria Falls, [Zimbabwe] analysed all documents you produced in support of your candidacy. In order to continue the examination of your file, we formulated the recommendations you will execute with the follow up of Desmond Marigwa, president of Footballers Union of Zimbabwe as the sole point of contact in charge of ensuring individual and personalised support and monitoring of your progress process.
“Fpma has to clarify the legal correlation between FAM and FPA and guarantee Fpam’s total independence from the Super League of Malawi [Sulom], FAM and Malawi National Council of Sports…When all these recommendations are completed and validated by the Board of FIFPro Africa, the committee will plan in agreement with Board of FPAM, a field visit meeting before a proposal for an admission decision as an observer member,” reads the letter in part.
The development means Fpam will have to cut ties with Sports Council, FAM and Sulom which among others, is to give up plans to have gate revenue share, an arrangement some stakeholders including clubs, have been protesting all along.
Fpam also has Sports Council executive secretary George Jana, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu and Sulom president Innocent Bottomani as trustees, which is not in lien with FIFPro statutes.
But FAM president Walter Nyamilandu yesterday justified the arrangement, saying the changes will be made only after they have confidence that FPAM can operate independently.
“It’s not an affiliate of FAM, but the trustees comprise of FAM, Sulom and Sports Council for governance purposes. This will ensure transparency and accountability as well,” he said.
Nyamilandu, however, said with time Fpam would run as an independent trade union.
“It will evolve over time and that’s the intention when we have confidence that they are well established,” he said.
Fpam general secretary Victor Mangani said they were working on the recommendations from FIFPro on independence of the organisation.
“It’s a process,” he said.
Mangani said they were about to secure their own source of income through a sponsor and that after that, they would also be financially independent.
In UK, Professional Football Players Association, a FIFPro member, gets its revenue by partnering with the Press Association as part of the Football Live project, to manage a team of up to 80 ex-professional footballers to provide statistical information live from all football matches.
