Greenland FA chief slams CONCACAF rejection as ‘setback for football democracy’
Kenneth Kleist, the president of the Greenlandic Football Association, slammed CONCACAF’s Monday decision to reject the association’s membership bid, calling it “a setback for places like Greenland.”
“This is not a victory for football democracy, it does not make football accessible to everyone globally, and it shows that smaller nations are facing extremely difficulties in getting permission to play under their own flag,” Kleist said in a social media post.
The vote on Greenland’s application came during CONCACAF’s 28th Extraordinary Congress, held virtually on Monday. Delegates from across the region reviewed financial reports and took up Greenland’s bid to join the 41-member confederation.
Unanimously rejected
CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani chaired the session.
The confederation’s administration and council and member associations unanimously rejected Greenland’s application.
“Based on a thorough assessment conducted by the CONCACAF administration and Council, and in accordance with the CONCACAF Statutes, the Member Associations reviewed the membership application submitted by the Greenlandic Football Association and unanimously rejected it,” CONCACAF said on Monday in a statement posted on their website.
CONCACAF is the governing body for soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
One of six FIFA-backed federations, CONCACAF runs the Gold Cup, handles World Cup qualifiers for North and Central America and the Caribbean, and backs the sport’s growth from the grassroots to the professional levels of its member nations.
Despite the decision, Kleist said the Greenlandic Football Association (KAK) will assess its next steps.
“We will elaborate on relevant matters within long,” he said.
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