25th July, 2013
Jamaican Football Federation technical director Alfredo Montesso and national under-20 coach Luciano Gama resigned Thursday in the wake of a “Reggae Boyz” doping scandal.
The Brazilian duo, in a posting on the federation website, announced their departure which takes effect next Wednesday.
The move came only one day after Jamaican federation officials announced that a football player had tested positive during a June 11 World Cup qualifying match against Honduras.
It was the latest doping disgrace for a Caribbean island nation already reeling from the revelations of doping in test results by five athletics stars, including Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.
FIFA is handling the testing and disciplinary process, although the JFF medical committee is investigating the doping positive by the player, who was not identified.
Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, told the Gleaner newspaper of Jamaica that the player did not play in the match against Honduras after which he tested positive.
“I think there are extenuating circumstances, because the player in question did not even play in the game,” Burrell told the newspaper.
“It is a sensitive matter and we have to try and protect the player and everybody, but I hope that things will work out in a way where it won’t affect him.
“If you want to play, but you have some pain and you are sick and a doctor gives you something to help you, nobody can hold you responsible.”
Jamaica have little chance of making the World Cup finals in Brazil next year as they sit bottom of the qualifying table with just two points from six games having suffered four defeats.