WILLEMSTAD – The role of the Dutch Stichting Blue Wave Curaçao is becoming a central issue in the growing discussion about transparency within the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK).
The foundation was established with the goal of attracting sponsors and partners for Curaçao’s World Cup project and securing the necessary financial resources. It was created partly because the FFK had faced difficulties with its public image and a lack of confidence among potential sponsors.
The original plans referred to the possibility of generating more than one million euros annually in sponsorship contributions.
Gilbert Martina, who helped establish the foundation, stepped down as chairman of Blue Wave Curaçao on February 28, 2025, after it became clear that holding that position was incompatible with his candidacy for the FFK presidency.
On the same day, the foundation’s statutes were amended. The main change was the removal of the objective to support “sports-related initiatives of Federashon Futbòl Kòrsou (FFK).” The revised statutes were officially registered by a notary on March 4, 2025.
At the end of 2025, Blue Wave Curaçao announced that it would be dissolved. The foundation stated that it had never received, managed or spent sponsorship funds. It also said that after the appointment of a new FFK board in April 2025, there was no longer a need for a separate foundation.
However, questions remain about the timing of these decisions. If the foundation no longer had a role after the new FFK board was appointed, observers question why the statutes were changed at the same time as Martina’s departure from the foundation.
A separate foundation between sponsors and a sports federation can be a legitimate organizational structure. However, such a construction must not become a financial barrier that prevents clubs and stakeholders from seeing how funds are managed.
Although Blue Wave Curaçao has stated that it never handled sponsorship money, a publicly verifiable financial overview supporting that statement has not been released.
A complete independent audit would therefore need to examine not only FFK finances but also the foundation’s activities, including bank records, sponsor agreements and any related transactions.
The audit should be conducted by an independent party without ties to current or former leadership. Clubs should receive the complete findings, as a short summary would likely not be enough to restore confidence.