Not a Promising Start Despite New Faces
The Press — The fact that it took over two hours to reach the necessary quorum for the general assembly to elect the 31 members of the FTF's Independent Commissions is a clear indication that clubs do not have much faith in change. A change in the working method of the six commissions responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the championship and treating all member associations equally, while guaranteeing fairness. The fact that loyal individuals (Ridha Sellami and Faouzi Chamengui) have been retained at the helm of the two main commissions (the National Appeals Commission and the Discipline and Fair Play Commission) suggests that Moez Nasri intends to keep their work under close control and prevent them from being compromised. The new figures appointed to lead and join the other four commissions were merely a "maneuver" to create the impression among clubs and the public that significant changes are underway and that new blood has been injected. This was done to supposedly make a clean break with a less-than-illustrious past and open a new chapter in the application of existing regulations. However, these regulations, despite the criticisms and gray areas they contain, simply need to be correctly interpreted and applied. The role of the men and women who will oversee their implementation is crucial in avoiding the usual influx of protests following decisions made by these commissions. The federation sent forms to clubs to designate their candidates for each of the six commissions. Most of them returned a blank copy and refrained from presenting their own candidates, as they were sure they would not be able to agree on candidates who would achieve unanimity. The Federation seized the opportunity to appoint its own candidates. Only one list was presented for each commission, whereas the Federation could have encouraged competition by proposing multiple lists and allowing clubs to decide. In the end, faced with a fait accompli, clubs had no choice but to give their approval without much conviction that the new electees would restore the tarnished reputation. It is therefore better not to have too many illusions and wait to see how these commissions will tackle the tough tasks assigned to them and the cases that will be brought before them to pronounce a optimistic verdict on their performance.
