New agreement reached between french and tahitian federations

The French and Tahitian Federations signed an agreement which clarifies Polynesian status and relations between the two bodies on October 4th at the FFF HQ in Paris.

Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, and Thierry Ariiotima, his counterpart at the Tahitian Football Federation (FTF), signed an agreement on Friday October 4th at the FFF headquarters, establishing new relations between the two bodies. Its main provision is the transition of the FTF to an "associate member of the FFF", subject to the adoption of a statutory amendment by the FFF General Assembly on December 14th.

This development has been seen as necessary since the FTF became affiliated with FIFA and the Oceania Football Confederation, in turn benefiting from a dual status allowing it to be under the governance of both FIFA and the FFF. Initiated several years ago, the consideration was accelerated last summer following an audit commissioned last June by the FFF Executive Committee and lawyer Frédéric Thiriez, concerning the "legal analysis of the governance of overseas entities". Discussions between the two federations then led to this agreement, the first article of which stipulates that "the FTF, formerly a regional league of the FFF, is now an associate member of the FFF and participates, with an advisory vote, in the general meetings of the FFF".

Relations between the two entities will nevertheless remain close, the agreement allows for the preservation of privileged links that take into account the specificities of French Polynesia and existing modes of collaboration. This is how, for example, the support of the FFF, via its National Technical Directorate (DTN), the eligibility of the archipelago's clubs and communities for FAFA schemes (equipment, transport, employment, training), aid relating to objective contracts, or the participation of a Polynesian club each season in the Coupe de France, will be maintained.

(Picture Antonio MESA / FFF).