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This exclusive interview is aimed at getting an inside look on what's going on in the Haitian league. Year after year, we've seen the champions of a series, struggle the following year, and last year we saw big clubs like Racing Club Haitien and Aigle Noir in danger of relegation from the first division. Several clubs have gone to foreign players and coaches with no significant results in the league. But one club has remained consistently in the top 4 position on the table for several years, and I was delighted to interview Simone Desvarrieux, to get an insight of what's going on in the league. The interview cover detail specific to Baltimore FC, general questions about football in the first division and to an extent the selection A. Click on the title of this article to read this interview.

Pano: Simone, can you briefly tell us about yourself, your experience in football or as a president.

SD: As a Footballer, I remember with joy the days that I played for my Junior High school in St. Marc, the school name was Antoinette Dessalines. But my strength is really in management, Baltimore FC is the first club I've ever overseen, but I've organized countless summer championships and I've been very involved in all aspects of Football in Haiti.

Pano: What has your reception been in the league as a woman, are you the only woman president in the league?

SD: I'm not the first woman president, but I'm currently the only woman president in the league. I'm passionate about football and that's a trait that I share with the other officers in the league. I'm welcomed in the league, we have the same goal and it's winning.

Pano: What's the reason of this constant shift in powers in the Haitian league? I was hoping that this was a sign of an increased competition in the league. Racing Club Haitien was fighting for survival last season. Is it a problem specific to the Clubs or are we at a turning point in Haitian Football.

SD: You are very optimistic, but the reality is that we have a high number of transfers in the league. Some clubs don't respect the players. Paying them is not enough; you must also maintain a good atmosphere in your club. When team spirit is low, it shows up in the performance on the field and the players will leave the club.

Pano: Despite this shift in powers Baltimore FC has continued to be on average in the top 4 position for several years, what have you been doing to break this tide?

SD: We maintain a comfortable atmosphere in the club, we often have problems with late payroll, but we treat our players with respect. The Club's administrator in Haiti, Marcos Fleury and others are doing an excellent job in taking care of the players, and keeping a pleasant environment for the players. Despite our financial hardships, like you noticed, we managed to be consistently competitive in the league.

Pano: In recent years we've that seen several clubs going to foreign head coaches and/or players to boost their team. On several instances the foreigners had minimal effects on the performance of the team. What is your club approach in terms of player development?

SD: We concentrate on youth training, we recruit young players from all over the country, not just St. Marc and we train and support them. The foreigners add value to the league, but can cause serious team spirit issue when the local players are at a pay scale and benefits miles away from the foreign players.

Pano: Tempete de St. Marc has won the league in the 1992/93 season; Baltimore has been a favorite the past few years but has never won the Championship. How would you describe the rivalry between Tempete FC and Baltimore FC, especially when they are playing in St. Marc?

SD: There's an intense rivalry between those two clubs, when they play in St. Marc the atmosphere is highly passionate among the players and the fans. They won the cup and we haven't, we beat them twice home and away in 2002 and they responded in 2003 by beating us twice. Add to this, that we'll be celebrating the clubs 30 years of existence in august 1st this year, and this should explain the level of intensity that we will see this season, especially between those two clubs.

Pano: What does your club need to win the Championship?

SD: One sponsor to take care of payroll and this club wins the league.

Pano: Unbelievable, one sponsor can make that much difference in the league? Who are your sponsors now?

SD: We have none; our club relies on minimal match revenue, which sometime is not even enough to pay LINAF. Yes, one reliable source of income can have a tremendous effect on this league.

Pano comments: Well, the potential sponsors missed an advertising opportunity with this interview. Hopefully with the support of the haitiwebs members we can make sponsorship in the Haitian league a viable market. When you do get a sponsor please let me know and we'll announce it on the site, I hope this helps.

Interview continues- Pano: One important transfer for you was when Pierre Roland St. Jean left your club and went to play for Violette A.C. in 2002. What effect did this have on your club?

SD: It was a devastating blow to our team morale, but we've grown pass this sudden departure. Now, Peter Germain is our team leader and the squad is happy again.

Pano: What effect has the Olympic and senior selection had on the clubs, especially with those long training camps overseas? How is your team affected when a player like Peter Germain is taken away from you, during league competition?

SD: The Federation and the LINAF should stop the Championnat when our best players are away for an extended period of time. The best example is Aigle Noir, an excellent club that came close to being relegated, because half of their starting lineup was called on international duties. Don Bosco also suffered greatly with the absence of Jean-Philippe Peguero. It's bad for the clubs, and it's not fair to the fans.

Pano: What do you think about the jobs being done by LINAF in managing the league?

SD: Totally inadequate, they are under-qualifyed with every aspect of the job. They currently have problems with 3 clubs, Valencia, Carioca and Zenith about the outcome of the last serie. All this because due to their poor management. They have no reform system to train and inform the referees about the changing rules of the game. The referees are not to blame when they make the wrong calls, LINAF & the FHF should have seminars for them so they can do a better job. One more issue among other ones, if you read a match report from the referee and the match report form the LINAF representative who attended the same game, you would think you were in two different stadiums. Incompetence is at the core of LINAF and I don't see them getting better.

Pano: How would you respond to the critiques on Haitian Football on the international level, they've been numerous. Haitian players have poor physical conditioning, rely too much on skills, are not professional etc...

SD: People can say what they want, but one thing is for sure, they haven't been watching Haitian Football. They've been watching Port-au-Prince Football; in the past 10 years the league has been dominated by teams outside of the capital, why is it that historically, 95% of the selection has come from Port-au-Prince teams. Despite our scarce resources we go in the countryside looking for players, why can't our coaching staff do the same. Don't get me wrong there are some solid clubs in Port-au-Prince, but the young players in the other cities deserve a chance to develop as well and to be part of the Haitian national team.

Pano: Thank you for this great opportunity to have this interviews with you, before we close can you tell us your outlook for the selection A in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers?

SD: Our next opponent, Jamaica, is at the moment a superior team and they should win both rounds against us. But football is played on the field and anything can happen after the ball start rolling. Our players have the potential to qualify, but issues around them specially the political tensions in Haiti can have negative psychological effects on them. It depends a lot on what their environment will be before the games. Thank you, for this opportunity to expose the club, we do have a website: www.Baltimoredestmarc.com; but it's currently under construction. Our site will be operational soon and visitors will be able to join our fan club. Thank you for promoting Haitian Football on the internet, and I thank the Haitiwebs members and readers for their interest in our league.