JAMAICA Football Federation President Michael Ricketts will need to wait a bit longer to know the future of General Secretary Dennis Chung, as he has not received any formal indication regarding Chung’s possible resignation this week.

On Wednesday the Jamaica Observer received credible information that Chung would be stepping away from his post at the end of month, to end a near three-year stint. Ricketts confirmed to the Observer that he had previously heard about Chung’s potential departure and was awaiting formal notice on the matter.

Chung was unavailable for comment up to press time on Friday.

Ricketts, however, told the Observer on Friday that he expects Chung to continue in his role as he’s not received confirmation about him resigning.

“Mr Chung has not tendered a resignation — and I’m absolutely sure about that. Mr Chung was at work [Thursday] — he had resumed from short leave — so if a resignation is pending then that’s it. But Mr Chung has not resigned,” he said.

“I didn’t really raise the issue with him because I would think that if he’s planning to do so, Chung is somebody with integrity so he’s going to do the right thing.”

Ricketts and Chung are expected to depart the island on Sunday for the FIFA Congress in Paraguay which starts on Tuesday.

The JFF boss denies there will be any fallout between the two, even if Chung does reveal his position during the trip.

“Mr Chung and I have absolutely no issues at all; in fact, Chung and I have a great relationship. Chung and I are good, we have no issues at all, and Chung will say the same. We are good,” said Ricketts.

“If there’s an intended resignation it’s probably because Chung thinks that he came to the JFF with an intention, and he would have achieved what he would have came for and he wants to move on. But it’s not because he and I have had a bad relationship, absolutely not,” he added.

Chung, a chartered accountant and noted financial executive, has spent five years with the JFF; first as the chairman of the finance committee in February 2020 then as general secretary in November 2022, following the controversial removal of Dalton Wint.

He has helped oversee the financial turnaround of the JFF, which caught the eye of world football governing body FIFA that lifted its financial restriction of the federation earlier this year.

In an interview with the Observer last month Chung said the improved governance has put the JFF in a good position going forward.

“Over the past two years we have recorded surpluses and, year to date, we are still in surplus. We have been working to eliminate the negative equity that existed for years,” he said.

“It shows the staff have been doing an excellent job in sticking to budgets and meeting financial commitments, supported strongly by the president who has been adamant that we reach this point.”

The JFF recorded a surplus of over $105 million in 2024, as well as cut the $230-million deficit reported in 2023 by more than 65 per cent at the end of last year.

RICKETTS… I didn’t really raise the issue with him because I would think that if he’s planning to do so, Chung is somebody with integrity so he’s going to do the right thing (Photo: Observer file)