Regenass, FIFA Director of Member Associations and Development, reinforced the value of face-to-face contact with the Oceania football family.
“It’s very important for FIFA to maintain direct contact with our Member Associations in Oceania, to exchange ideas, discuss our programme and what we expect from them, as well as what they expect from us, and how we can improve our service to them.
“The second reason this seminar is very important is that FIFA completed the reform process and that has big impact on the FIFA Development Programme. So we need to explain to our members the ways in which this change will be carried out,” he said.
Regenass was joined in leading the three-day seminar – held at the Rendezvous Hotel in central Auckland – by Eva Pasquier, FIFA’s Oceania Development Manager, and FIFA Communication Manager Raphael Morgulis, FIFA Head of Development Programmes Cyril Loisel and FIFA Head of Education and Technical Development Jurg Nepfer.
The participants consisted of the executives of OFC’s member associations, who were given the chance to further increase their knowledge of the new development programmes to be implemented.
Regenass believes the responsibility of Oceania’s members to deliver is a big one.
“The Member Associations are really the ones doing the development work – they are the ones who are in contact with their clubs, their leagues and their players,” he said.
“So we provide the means to them but they are the ones who implement it. Their role is crucial and important. We expect a lot from them and at the same time we try to provide the best service we can in return.”
The seminar is part of FIFA’s overall desire to assist in the running and organisation of its member associations and aims to help football’s national governing bodies reach their maximum potential both on and off the field.
Regenass recognises FIFA’s reform programme places impetus on the OFC members to respond positively.
“The Member Associations will need to be more transparent and accountable. For instance, to publish their accounts, each project over $50,000 USD needs to be tendered out, there will need to be at least three offers to review and all programmes and courses provided by FIFA will be published.
“Member Associations will need to send accounts and minutes of their congresses to be eligible for these programmes,” he said.
OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas believes the region must follow FIFA’s lead and embrace the new reforms.
“FIFA has got its house in order regarding transparency, finance and terms of office after a rigorous reform process and the onus is on Oceania to follow suit,” he said.
“Our main goal is to develop football and the financial management of our Member Associations is close behind. This is a challenging area for OFC Member Associations because there are so many football activities, and not enough resources to cover them.
“Today’s seminar activity sets a foundation. It’s a first as a pilot project and provided an opportunity to talk about existing programmes while plotting the map into the future,” Nicholas said.
Meanwhile Regenass believes within the challenge ahead, there are reasons for optimism in a post-reform environment.
“There are often changes in management in Oceania, lots of Member Associations are small, there is not a lot of staff and not a lot of financial or commercial means.
“This can be a burden but we can be, along with the OFC, confident that with transparency and accountability the Development programmes will be successful in the long term,” he said.
The participants attending the FIFA/OFC Development Seminar also participated in this morning’s ground breaking ceremony at Ngahue Reserve in St John’s.

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