Concacaf hands over Club Shield tournament to CFU

MIAMI, Florida, USA (CMC):

From this year, the Caribbean Club Shield will be fully organised and managed by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

According to a news release from Concacaf, the confederation shifted responsibility for the tournament; and will provide support for its delivery, with the CFU taking full control of the organisation and management from this year onwards.

"The development of regional club football is a major priority for Concacaf and alongside our Caribbean member associations, we are dedicated to fully supporting the growth of clubs and leagues across a region known for its passion for the sport," Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said.

"This collaboration with the CFU is a testament to the leadership of the CFU president and highlights the ambition we share to deliver opportunities that will take the game in the Caribbean to the next level. We look forward with great anticipation to supporting the delivery of the inaugural CFU Club Shield later this year."

Under the agreement between the two football bodies, the tournament will be rebranded as the CFU Club Shield and qualify two clubs for the Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

"The CFU is extremely pleased to be taking over the management and organisation of the Club Shield, and to rebrand it as an official CFU competition," CFU president Randy Harris, the president of the Barbados Football Association, added.

"We welcome the cooperation from Concacaf in ushering in this new era of the CFU delivering an important club competition, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the confederation to grow club and league football in the region.

"We are excited to deliver a competition as robust as any on the field of play and to deliver administration that meets and exceeds the mark."

The Caribbean Club Shield was established six years ago, with the primary objective of advancing professional football throughout the Caribbean.

Participation is open to semi-professional and amateur teams holding current championship titles in their respective domestic leagues.