Just who is Victor Montagliani?

Meet Victor Montagliani the new President of CONCACAF and the latest in a conga line of supposed reformists.

On the surface the election of Montagliani makes a lot of sense. He has served as the President of the Canadian Soccer Association since 2012 and has been a part of the country’s recent resurgence in the beautiful game. Montagliani can also claim success with having helped run the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Another good sign: Montagliani is also a former player. He played for a club called Columbus F.C. which is based out of Vancouver and was renowned for featuring players only of Italian origin. Montagliani would eventually rise from the ranks of just a player and eventually become the head of the British Columbia Soccer Association. So he has a good amount of experience in the game and is not just necessarily a suit.

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For those wondering where he stands on corruption he also has experience in FIFA’s reform movement. Montagliani last year served on the FIFA ethics reform committee and helped spearhead some of the organization’s recent changes. Whether the changes that FIFA has made actually work is debatable but Montagliani appears to be on the right side of things.

He is also saying all of the right things. During his induction ceremony he hit out against corruption in FIFA and said:

"Our members have voted in favour of reform, and I am committed to ensuring CONCACAF rebuilds its credibility with the football world and to position and ready the organization to deal effectively with the evolving global game"

While all of this sounds well and good and chances are Mr. Montagliani means what he says we have been down this road before. FIFA politicians are renowned for their ability to make big promises on reform while still getting involved in less than savory practices.

Considering that the last three CONCACAF Presidents (Alfredo Hawit, Jeffrey Webb, and Jack Warner) have all said similar things at some point in their careers and each of them has either been indicted or are facing extradition in relation to racketeering and fraud it is not surprising that there are some skeptics to any CONCACAF hire. That’s not saying that Mr. Montagliani has been involved in anything nefarious but that those who have followed this organization for years are skeptical of anyone.

There are certainly many, many issues that Mr. Montagliani will need to deal with in fixing this organization. Improving pitch conditions (including in his own country which came under fire during the Women’s World Cup,) improving the quality of play in the CONCACAF Champions League, and perhaps most importantly match fixing are among the many things that will need to be addressed quickly. Other issues such as the development of a Caribbean Football League and eventually applying for a World Cup are also on the docket.

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But above all else building back the trust between supporters, sponsors, and players and CONCACAF is the most important. Although the issues of corruption and impropriety are not limited to the borders of North and Central America their problems are magnified here because of the United States’ efforts in bringing in FIFA officials. It is very apparent when listening to all of the parties listed above that there is a lack of faith in CONCACAF right now.

How can Montagliani build back that trust? By continuing his efforts in reform. He appears to be genuinely interested in change and in turning CONCACAF into a corruption-free organization. But as opposed to previous Presidents who dragged their heels with compliance, Montagliani needs to work with the relevant authorities.

Hopefully Victor Montagliani can provide the reform that CONCACAF and the region are looking for. But until real actionable change happens or he is tested his statement is just words.