Fiji FA warns against resolving disputes on social media

The Fiji Football Association will charge all members and districts including regional clubs who use social media to resolve football disputes.

Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel made the comment during his address at the council meeting at the headquarters at Vatuwaqa, Suva yesterday.

“Be careful how you operate on social media platforms. Anyone found contributing to this subject will be taken through disciplinary actions,” Patel said.

“All we want is to follow the process outlined in our statutes.”

Patel added that he had an open dialogue with the district officials during the council meeting.

“We were open and answered questions to the district officials even though it was a fake news and what not,” he said.

“We still didn’t run away from it. It’s something they have to understand, don’t follow social media like its God’s Bible that has that this is all the truth there.”

Patel said that they had an ongoing case on defamation of an ex-minister.

“When you defame anyone, the organisation will protect the integrity of the organisation and will make sure that football stays clean.”

Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohhamed Yusuf said the districts should adhere to the governance process stated in their constitution.

“If there are any issues, they should not run to social media and highlight. They should use the process to resolve the dispute,” he said.

“That’s why we’re going to be coming down hard on them. If the officials go on social media and put up a compliant and try to resolve a dispute through social media, they will be taken to task.”

Yusuf said there were ample provisions for the districts to dispute residual processes in the organisation’s statutes.

“They need to use that and resolve it,” he said.

Transformation amendments

Yusuf revealed that players who play futsal code at Fiji FA competitions cannot overlap to the 11 a side code.

“The players will need to choose. If they want to be an 11 a side player then they cannot play futsal at Fiji FA competition,” he said.

“At regional district level, players can play because you have to form at least six regional clubs to play on local regional futsal league with only one foreign player.”

Yusuf said futsal games will be played on the weekends along with 11 side matches.

“At district local level because of the numbers, we allow both codes to play the district local regional futsal leagues,” he said.

“It allows more participation in the districts for them to choose a team. They’ll ensure that the players they chose are only futsal players.”

Yusuf said their competition will only one code per person.

“This is to ensure that our national teams are prepared well and our futsal competition and 11 a side on the weekends will go parallel,” he said.