WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) has expressed strong disappointment over what it describes as a unilateral decision by the Curaçao Football Referees Association (CFRA) to withdraw its services from Wednesday evening’s scheduled matches at the last minute.
According to the FFK, the decision had immediate consequences for the clubs involved, as well as players, coaching staff and supporters who had prepared to attend the matches.
The dispute centers on compensation for referees. The FFK said it received a letter from the CFRA on August 10 containing several requests, including a 100 percent increase in current payments.
The federation said it takes the referees’ concerns seriously and responded on August 11 by proposing a meeting for Wednesday, August 12, at 4:00 p.m. at FFK headquarters.
According to the federation, the CFRA indicated that the proposed time was inconvenient and requested that the meeting be moved to 5:00 p.m. The FFK then proposed 5:30 p.m., but the CFRA rejected that option. The parties subsequently agreed to meet on August 13.
Despite the planned meeting, the referees withdrew their cooperation for Wednesday evening’s matches.
The FFK said a proposed 100 percent increase cannot be implemented without first carefully assessing the federation’s financial capacity and the broader structural consequences of such a substantial adjustment.
“A decision of this nature requires a solid process and constructive dialogue,” the federation said.
The FFK stressed that it remains willing to discuss the CFRA’s demands but criticized the decision to stop providing referee services for matches that had already been scheduled.
According to the federation, withdrawing services unilaterally and at the last minute is not an appropriate way to handle a complex dispute and harms both sportsmanship and the continuity of Curaçao’s football competitions.
The FFK has called on the referees’ association to return to the negotiating table, saying the interests of football and the continuation of the competition should remain the priority.