Fifa has separated the management of Caribbean countries from the rest of Concacaf, a move widely seen by opponents as an attempt to divide the alliance aiming to remove President Gianni Infantino from office. The former Switzerland midfielder Gelson Fernandes, described as an Infantino loyalist, has been appointed as the director of member associations for the Caribbean, in addition to his existing role overseeing Fifa's African members.
Concacaf, which covers North and Central America as well as the Caribbean, was previously managed as a single bloc. Fernandes, who joined Fifa in 2022, has replaced Jair Bertoni as Fifa's liaison with the 21 Caribbean-based members. National associations and Concacaf were informed of the change last week without prior consultation.
Fifa confirmed the appointment, stating it is designed to support Infantino’s vision of making the sport "truly global." The organisation said Fernandes's experience and knowledge of football development programmes would help support football development in the Caribbean countries.
Concacaf is currently working with Uefa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to try and oust Infantino. Sources at several member associations in Europe and North America reportedly view the change as an attempt to split the Concacaf vote ahead of March's presidential election.
Infantino reaffirmed his intention to seek re-election for a fourth term last weekend. The deadline for other candidates to stand is 18 November.