JFF requests written intent from national players
Butler says he won’t stand in the way of Bailey’s Boyz return
DENNIS Chung, general secretary of Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), says the door remains open for Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey to rejoin the Reggae Boyz for the country’s Nations League match against Cuba at the National Stadium on September 6.
However Chung said that for Bailey — who declined an invitation to play for Jamaica at the 2024 Copa America in June — to rejoin the national set-up he must first sign a letter of commitment.
“We have asked that any confirmation of availability be in writing so that we can be certain,” Chung said.
“His availability, of course, depends on him — first and foremost. As you know, the [former] Coach [Heimir Hallgrímsson] selected him last time, and he said that he wasn’t available.
“We obviously want some written commitment to ensure availability, so I can’t say for certain. That is a decision for him first and, secondly, for the coach. That is not a decision the administration gets involved in,” the JFF general secretary added.
Bailey’s agent and adopted father, Craig Butler, said it is up to the player to decide whether or not he wants to reintegrate into the national set-up.
“If Leon decides to play then that is up to him, and I will never tell him not to play for his country. It has always been up to him to play for his country, and I have never told him not to play for his country.
“However, one has to take a stand for what is right and for what they believe. Not every time are my beliefs the same as Leon’s, but my job is to support his decisions and give him the support he needs in what he does,” Butler explained.
Bailey was suspended after breaking team curfew in November last year when Jamaica played Canada in a Concacaf Nations League quarter-final game. As a result, he was left out of squad for the semi-final stage in March.
However, he was included in Jamaica’s squad for the Copa America, chosen by then Head Coach Hallgrímsson. He declined the call-up, stating that he was taking a break from the national team.
Chung pointed out that the federation is being cautious following that episode. He said every player intending to represent the national team must sign a letter of commitment before donning Jamaica’s colours.
“It is not up to me, it is for the technical team. As far as the JFF is concerned, we are not going to stand in the way of that. What we want is a written commitment. We know that a lot of Jamaicans were upset with the situation in the past,” he reiterated.
“We always want to select the best team. Obviously, there are a lot of dynamics that the coach [Steve McClaren] has to consider when including players in his team… what we’ve asked for is just to ensure that there is written confirmation. That is going to be important, and we will need to see that in order for us to agree with it,” Chung reasoned.
