Puerto Rico FC has had a troubled offseason.

First, there was the offseason NASL situation, followed by an initial denial of entry into the CFU championships. And then recent reports emerged suggesting PRFC might not be able to play the NASL season due to the possible suspension of the Puerto Rico Football Federation (FPF). The reported issue traced back to monies owed to a previous employee of the FPF, Jeaustin Campos, who was head coach of the Puerto Rican national team from 2011-13.

Soc Takes spoke with PRFC president Tom Payne regarding the issue, and he was confident that the season-opening match — and indeed, the season — would go on as scheduled.

“One million percent,” Payne said in response to a question about the likelihood of the New York Cosmos-PRFC game being played.

Payne informed Soc Takes that while he doesn’t think the FPF situation will affect PRFC, he has become frustrated at having to fight battles that are not PRFC related.

“The federation has never had to answer on behalf of us, but we feel that we are constantly answering for them or having to play nice, which is frustrating,” Payne explained. “It’s disappointing that Puerto Rico FC, which is trying to promote the game of soccer, set up clinics all over the island, and to visit hospitals and do all the good things we do, is caught up in this kind of gossip and minutiae. And none of it is our fault. We’ve been in contact with FPF through our legal guys here and they clarified that there’s nothing pending, and that they plan on making a statement.”

Since then, the FPF released a statement which seemingly took offense to the initial reports. Soc Takes obtained an English-translated excerpt of the statement from FPF president Eric Labrador to the legal adviser at PRFC (sic):

Dear Lcdo. Rivé Power

In response to your e-mail received today March 17 in which you request “an official position about any possibility of disaffiliation of the FPF from FIFA”. I understand perfectly your worries regarding some false and speculative digital publications in the past couple of days. Through this medium I officially assure you that no process of disaffiliation of the FPF from FIFA exists. Also, I want you to know, that there is no risk of the FPF being disaffiliated or even the risk of such process being started.

The FPF is in good standing with FIFA and no circumstance currently exists that puts that good standing in jeopardy. Any information published stating the opposite is False, Defamatory, Libelous, and Ill-intentioned, looking to destabilize thee development of football in the island, in particular, the great job Puerto Rico FC has done in the North American Soccer League.

However, to suggest that all is well would be inaccurate. Multiple sources told Soc Takes that the FPF did, in fact, receive a letter from FIFA stating that Campos had contacted FIFA regarding the issue, and the FPF is quietly confident that FIFA will rule in its favor.

Soc Takes couldn’t reach Campos for comment. An FPF spokesperson, given the complex legal proceedings, declined to comment on the matter as well. Ultimately, FIFA will be the arbiter in what is becoming a public relations nightmare for the FPF. Yet again, while the situation is complex for FPF, PRFC remains certain that everything is on track for its season.

“There is nothing imminent that we need to worry about,” Payne clarified.

When asked if his continuing frustrations with the FPF may trigger an alternative plan for the NASL franchise, Payne replied:

“Do we have a contingency plan? Frankly, no. The league would be in trouble. If we felt like there was an urgency, we would certainly be calling on the NASL to be talking to US Soccer. I don’t know if there’s a legal parameter to play outside the Puerto Rican federation since we are playing in an American league, but it’s something we would have to discuss seriously. But I have to say, in defense of the FPF, they would have contacted us if there was a pending issue like they did last year (with the CFU championship).”

An NASL source close to the matter told Soc Takes that the league is confident about a favorable result as well.

As things stand, PRFC, the FPF and the NASL believe that things will work out in their favor. So even though the central legal issue remains active between the FPF and FIFA, and there may be some fracturing in PRFC’s relationship with the FPF, everything is fine — for now.

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