Leon Bailey of Jamaica controls the ball during a game between Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago at CITYPARK on June 28, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri.(Photo by Bill Barrett/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Information has now emerged over what led up to the farcical inclusion of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey into Jamaica’s 26 man squad for the Copa America Tournament in the United States starting next week.
Bailey’s name was in the squad that was announced Wednesday night, but merely minutes later the player himself took to his social media page to hint otherwise.
It is now coming to light that Bailey’s representative Craig Butler was called by Jamaica Football Federation, JFF, General Secretary Dennis Chung for a meeting on Monday to discuss the possibility of Bailey playing at the Copa. Also at that meeting was Chairman of Professional Football Jamaica Limited Chris Williams as mediator.
At the meeting Butler pointed out five areas the JFF must address before Bailey agrees to return. Among them, Bailey gets his own personal security when he is with the national team, first class flights, his own room, a review of the players contracts and that Rudolph Spied be removed as head of the Technical Committee if he continues to be the head of Premier League champions Cavalier.
Butler said he also received a call from head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson for a meeting at which he told the coach not to name Bailey in the squad until the conditions are met or before Butler gets a chance to talk to the player.
It was also argued that if Bailey agrees to join the squad he would miss the first game against Mexico on June 22 because he is keeping his party on June 21 in Kingston.
Our reporter William Mitchell was up late Wednesday night following the moving parts of this seemingly never ending saga and this was how he captured it.
William Mitchell contributed to this report.
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