On June 15th the Belize National Football Selection defended the pride of the jewel when they played Mexico in front of 50,000 fans at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. They lost the game but won the heart of the nation. And after the game the Football Federation promised to pay the players $9,000 each on July 7th – which is today. And so this morning some of the players went to the FFB Office in Belmopan to collect their $9,000.
Well, they did get a check, but they can’t get their money, at least not yet. They got post dated checks from the FFB. They were told that the FFB will inform them when to cash the checks. FFB President Bertie Chimilio refused to comment on the record but says everything is being worked out and finalized and the players will get their money. He stressed that he has reached an agreement with the players and both sides are happy. T he players we spoke to say they aren’t exactly happy with the situation but they have no choice but to wait.
The game at the Reliant Stadium was Belize’s home game and with 50,000 in attendance and tickets priced between $30 and $125 U.S. dollars – it should have been a financial windfall for the Football Federation. Dr. Chimilio has stressed that the proceeds will be split after expenses are paid.
