The relationship between the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and Reggae Boyz Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has deteriorated beyond repair with both parties said to be frustrated with each other and moving towards an early separation.

Hallgrimsson, who led his homeland Iceland to its first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2018, was courted by the JFF in 2022 with the goal of securing qualification for Jamaica to the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

It has, however, been a less than convincing tenure by the 57-year-old, despite his fairly respectable record with the Reggae Boyz — 11 wins, six draws, and nine losses in his 26 matches in charge. His record in competitive matches sits at 10 wins, three draws, and five losses.

With the Jamaicans set to face Venezuela in their final Copa America group match at 7:00 pm in Austin, Texas, tonight, there is all likelihood that this could be the coach’s final match in charge of the national senior team.

When contacted, chairman of the JFF’s Technical Committee, Rudolph Speid, would not be drawn into a direct comment on the matter, but he noted that the normal procedures, which involve a post-tournament audit of the technical performances, will be exercised in short order.

“As usual, following the completion of Jamaica’s involvement in the tournament, the Technical Committee will meet to assess the performance and consider the recommendations,” Speid told the Jamaica Observer when quizzed on Saturday.

However, according to multiple well-placed sources, the damage has already been done and Hallgrimsson and the JFF are heading towards an inevitable divorce, two years before the expiration of his contract.

The JFF’s top brass, disappointed with the team’s results and Hallgrimsson’s game management, has lost confidence in the tactician’s ability to lead the team to World Cup qualification, with reports also surfacing that the coach’s relationship with several key players has soured.

Of note, the coach, who moved to Jamaica in January 2023, four months after his appointment, has already emptied and vacated the house provided to him by the JFF and has returned to Iceland since January of this year, only travelling to Jamaica for team assignments.

Hallgrimsson, who is believed to have initiated attempts to get controversial Aston Villa attacker Leon Bailey to end his break from the team and make himself available for Copa America, has reportedly lost some of his goodwill with the rest of the players after he indicated, ahead of the Ecuador encounter, that he was still looking to add Bailey to the squad for the tournament in spite of his public rejection of the initial invitation.

According to our information, this did not sit well with the other players, and it eventually led to the JFF’s decision to officially suspend the 26-year-old winger and take the matter out of the coach’s hands.

The sources claim that the coach also rubbed his employers the wrong way when he sought a commission — which was not stipulated under the terms of his contract, from the US$2 million ($311 million) payment given to each participating team, after he qualified the Reggae Boyz to the ongoing Copa America tournament.

However, the angst is two-sided and Hallgrimsson, who is said to be irritated by several administrative issues, has also fallen out of love with the JFF.

The coach was close to calling it quits after the first leg of Jamaica’s Nation’s League quarter-final loss against Canada at the National Stadium in November 2023.

Hallgrimsson is also said to be dissatisfied with the federation’s level of support towards securing passports for a number of UK-based players who are looking to represent the nation, such as Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson.

According to our information, both parties are also not seeing eye-to-eye on the direction of the youth programme, with Hallgrimsson and his team pushing for the inclusion of more non-domestic players in the age-group squads, while some elements in the JFF hierarchy have demanded that more local-based players be involved.

The coach is also disappointed that his expenses are not being covered by the JFF whenever he travels to Europe to recruit players for the national team. A JFF insider did, however, contend that reimbursements cannot be issued without prior approval of travel.

Having scored their first Copa America goal in their 3-1 loss to Ecuador on Wednesday, the Reggae Boyz will be looking to secure their first win in the competition on Sunday. This, it is expected, would still not be enough to warm the frosty relations between the JFF and the Icelandic coach.