FFSL finance operations mired
The game has made progress at international level, but locally there are many areas that needs to addressed and rectified both administratively and at grassroots level
The day-to-day activities of Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) have been largely hampered by its administrators’ failure to fill the vacated position of Finance Manager, a void that has persisted for over four months. Despite the gap created by the resignation of FFSL’s former Finance Manager, Ravindra Kahandawela, sources reveal that the local football administration has instead focused on recruiting a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for an inordinately high monthly salary.
The creation of the new CEO position coincided with the time when the Finance Manager resigned in August, leaving FFSL ample time to find a replacement. Yet, despite repeated calls from the majority of FFSL’s Executive Committee, it is reported that the incumbent President has failed to address the issue.
This has left the current FFSL Finance Committee in disarray, according to reliable sources. One of the main factors the
present FFSL leadership advocated for was transparency and accountability, as previous administrations had been accused of financial irregularities and a lack of transparency in governance.
However, this trend continues to affect the current administration, which consists of experienced individuals in football administration. The Finance Division of FFSL had two permanent employees under the Finance Manager. Their tasks included monitoring and controlling all transactions and internal payment approvals, compiling monthly and annual accounts, responding to audit queries, preparing annual budgets, and recording Finance Committee minutes.
Since mid-August, these tasks, along with other crucial activities involving the Finance Division, have been handled by the two remaining staff members, including the preparation of monthly salaries for FFSL’s permanent members and allowances for coaching staff and players.
The situation has hindered the smooth functioning of FFSL, as it would to any organisation or institution. Questions remain as to whether the current football administration has been able to deliver on the pledges they made before being elected.
The Finance Committee, one of the few working committees that was only formed almost a year after the Executive Committee was elected in September 2023, is said to have faced immense challenges in
following proper procedures and implementing decisions taken by the FFSL Executive Committee
related to finances.
The Executive Committee last met in mid-September, according to reliable sources, and its members were informed by the CEO that advertisements had been placed to recruit a new Finance Manager. Yet, the Recruitment Committee is said to have received no
feedback or response, leaving them unable to make a quick replacement for the vacant position.
With little progress or interest being shown to resolve the issue, FFSL should be adopting transparent financial governance procedures, especially following the poor image it garnered from the practices of previous administrations.
However, it is reported that the incumbent President has taken an approach that contradicts this goal. He has managed to secure approval from the Finance Committee to release over 30 million Sri Lankan rupees through last-minute
approvals during key events, including international matches hosted in Sri Lanka.
“The Finance Committee has been forced to bypass transparent financial procedures, mainly due to requests from the President to approve payments at the very last minute, just before a major event. The situation forced the Finance Committee to approve payments without following proper procedures, just to ensure the event went ahead. Failing to do so could have tarnished FFSL’s image among stakeholders and the general public,” a former football official, who distanced himself from the sport, stated.
Although the FFSL President has taken the initiative to appoint stand-in committees, these committees remain non-functional despite a delay of almost 10 months. None of the appointed members have yet received official letters of appointment. Football experts are baffled by this fact, especially since FFSL is currently facing a restriction on financial grants from both FIFA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) due to the previous administration’s failure to submit Central Audit Reports to FIFA for the past three years.
At present, the FFSL administration has exaggerated the recent performances of the national men’s football team, which mostly consists of professional players with Sri Lankan connections. However, they are yet to provide a clear plan for improving the domestic football structure, development programmes for juniors, youth, women’s teams, national teams, and local competitions.
As the new year approaches, the majority of FFSL’s Executive Committee members have been sidelined, according to informed sources, while a few individuals close to the President have taken to bullying certain members on internal communication platforms. These individuals have even gone so far as to act on behalf of the President, humiliating Executive Committee members who have been vocal about the lack of transparency and the absence of official responses to important queries.
If FFSL continues down its current path, it risks following in the footsteps of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC), which is currently facing significant criticism due to the autocratic behavior of its leadership. If FFSL fails to implement proper procedures and adhere to its commitment to transparency and good governance, it may soon find itself as the next major subject of public scrutiny, alongside the NOC.