Jamaican footballer Leon Baileycurrent end of the Aston Villa of Dibu Martínez, has decided not to participate in the America Cup due to problems with his country’s federation. The 26-year-old forward accused the Jamaican Football Federation of a lack of professionalism, which has been decisive in his decision.
In a podcast interview Let’s Be Honestthe athlete expressed his discontent: “It is not professional at all to play in Jamaica. A lot of people don’t know that most of the time I book my own flights to come represent Jamaica because they are not very professional. You receive all the information about your flight at 11 p.m. By the way, I don’t remember the last time I received a single dollar from the federation.” The attacker made his debut with the Reggae Boyz senior team in June 2019. In total he played a total of 28 games, in which he scored five goals and provided six assists.
Bailey also recounted her experience with inappropriate materials and conditions: “When I say unprofessional, I mean There is not even adequate sports equipment. When you arrive at the sports center, the only thing they give you is a t-shirt. On game day they force you to wear a women’s shirt. This is ridiculous. When I go there, I feel like they don’t really know what to do.” The footballer comes from having a good performance at Aston Villa, where he contributed 14 goals and 14 assists in 52 games.
The Jamaican team will be part of the B Group in the Copa América, where they will face Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico. Bailey’s absence significantly weakens the team, which has just beaten the Dominican Republic 1-0 in one of its last friendlies prior to the start of the competition. The set-up will be completed this Sunday against Dominica at the Windsor Park Stadium.
It is worth noting that the forward has been a key piece for the team, leading the Reggae Boyz to the semifinals of the Gold Cup on two occasions. His last game with the national team was in November 2023, in a 3-2 victory against Canada.
In addition to Bailey, the Jamaican team will suffer other significant losses for the Copa América. Everton player Demarai Gray will be out due to a broken collarbone. There are also the absences of Amari’i Bell (Luton Town left back), Joel Latibeaudiere (Coventry City central marker), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford defender), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union goalkeeper) and Dujuan Richards (Center forward of the Chelsea).
His statements have highlighted crucial problems within the Jamaican Football Federation. “I don’t remember the last time I received a single dollar from the federation”the player emphasized, making it clear that the conditions in which he has played for his country do not correspond to the professional expectations of an athlete of his level.
Jamaica will have to address these internal problems in the midst of a competition in which the best two in each group will advance to the next round. It is worth remembering that this team, which played in the 1998 World Cup in France (was eliminated in the group stage), will participate in the Copa América for the third time. In the previous two (Chile 2015 and United States 2016) he did not make it past the first round and fell in all his presentations.
