The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has moved to extricate itself from blame following widespread chatter that its partnership with sponsors Romai and Digicel could both be at an end.

Telecommunications firm Digicel has been a JFF partner since 2003. Sportswear company Romai inked a deal with the federation in 2015.

Outgoing JFF General Secretary Raymond Grant addressed the Digicel matter during a press conference at the JFF’s base in New Kingston last Saturday, insisting blame should not be planted at the feet of the federation.

“Any concern that there is — is not a concern on the JFF side. It may be some issue or challenge on the side of Digicel. As a partner of the JFF and one of our major sponsors, we continue to work with them, recognising the fact that there are issues. We hope that over time we will be able to solve these issues,” he said.

“Their concerns are internal and I’m not competent to speak to those issues. If it is a situation that we have to part company, rest assured it is not an issue from the JFF side,” Grant reiterated.

Bruce Gaynor, whose time as interim JFF president started in July and ended on Saturday, declined to provide an update on either matter, but said the local football body plans to issue a statement.

“The issue of Romai and Digicel, the federation is going to make a release whenever there is a release to be made. We can’t keep on speculating in the media and in the public because every time we write these things it will affect the sponsorship. The federation will make a release shortly [on] these matters,” said the St James FA executive.

But Gaynor, who returns to his role as one of the JFF’s three vice-presidents, said positive things are on the horizon.

“We have a new president and we have a dynamic marketing committee — we are going to see wonders,” he promised.

Michael Ricketts, who was elected JFF president at the voting congress on Saturday, has promised that creating “partnerships with investors” is high on the priority list for the federation’s “re-energised” marketing department.

However, Ricketts said he was not yet able to provide details of possible marketing strategies.

The JFF, mired in debt, has been struggling to fund the various age group teams within its men’s and women’s programmes.

— Sanjay Myers