Football Association of BiH issues statement regarding FK Željezničar's complaints

(Patria) - With the latest letter, FK Željezničar's request to the Football Association of BiH for access to the documentation of applicant clubs, the Administration of the governing body of BiH football addressed the public with a statement, which we are transmitting in its entirety.

"In the last two months, a very bad, to not use another term, contaminated atmosphere has been created in and around the Football Association of BiH during the final phase of the licensing process for clubs that have applied for participation in the Premier League of BiH and UEFA. The search for the culprit for not obtaining a license for UEFA competition, i.e., the right addressee, cannot be found in the Association or the competent commissions that have done their job extremely correctly and professionally in every respect. It must be sought elsewhere, at another address. Those who try to shift the burden of guilt for failing to fulfill a clearly prescribed obligation to others know and will recognize that the mistake does not lie with the Association but at the point of origin, which is the applicant club.

The request for access to the documentation of other clubs is not allowed, because Article 12.2 stipulates the Agreement on Confidentiality of Information of all applicant clubs, therefore the request itself speaks more to an attempt to violate strictly prescribed procedures in order to 'provoke' any solution. If they did not know this, and they should, this document is signed at the beginning of the licensing process to protect the confidentiality of data of the entities participating in this process. Representatives of this club also signed such a document. Because of all this, it is absurd to ask for what cannot be given to third parties.

This deeply encroaches on the sphere of legally prohibited, criminal acts, in this specific case. Let them not try to drag the Association as an institution, and the administration within it, into the 'grey zone' called extra-institutional action, because we will not allow it, nor will we agree to such a thing. Especially since it represents a blatant violation of the standards and principles established and binding in the field of licensing, and official responsibility for safeguarding the submitted information. And that is why the Rulebook is so strict, and that is why it is so exclusive, because it represents legal protection for all participants in the game called football. Especially in the part of the Rulebook titled 'Key Process'. These are postulates that define every segment of licensing, prescribed and defined by binding deadlines. All of this is clearly stated in the Rulebook.

This Association has done everything within its jurisdiction, i.e., it has provided all clubs with the same treatment and equivalent access in the licensing procedure, in order to help those who do not know this subject well or are clubs that have just moved to a higher level of competition to obtain the necessary permit for both competitions. That is why we urge every club, especially one that considers itself serious, to deal with its internal "infrastructure" in the administrative part as soon as possible and to call certain things by their proper names. Do not hide behind others, because such a thing has never helped anyone. Based on the bad experience from the case when CFCB (UEFA Club Financial Control Body) discovered a major oversight during the monitoring process in September 2017 and found that the license was issued contrary to the regulations, the Football Association of Serbia paid a high fine of 250,000 euros for issuing the license.

Therefore, it should be emphasized at the end that this Association, despite all the pressure, will ultimately emerge even stronger and more cohesive, with the aim of preserving a high professional standard of work, preserving the integrity of the competition, and acquiring new knowledge."