KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC-Winfried Schaefer has been removed temporarily as head coach of Jamaica’s senior national football team over his handling of a cameraman while conducting an interview with the team’s manager at the Norman Manley International Airport on Sunday.
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) issued a statement on Tuesday confirming Schaefer’s removal while also announcing that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
JFF’s announcement follows a strongly worded letter from the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) to the JFF complaining about the incident.
Schaefer, who missed Jamaica’s last semi-final-round CONCACAF World Cup assignment against Haiti Tuesday, is accused of unplugging the cable of the TVJ cameraman while an interview with team manager Roy Simpson was in progress.
“The Jamaica Football Federation has launched an immediate investigation into the matter,” the statement read.
“As a result, Coach Winfried Schaefer has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities with immediate effect, pending the outcome of our investigations.”
The incident occurred shortly after the team’s arrival from Panama, where they were beaten 2-0 in a CONCACAF World Cup Qualification match on Friday.
The PAJ said it received reports and has video footage to confirm the incident which reportedly occurred after Schaefer declined an interview with the cameraman.
Schaefer, a German whose contract with the JFF is due to expire in 2018, has declined to comment specifically on the incident citing legal reasons.
“I am surprised with the letter from the JFF,” The Jamaica Observer quoted him as saying.
“I’m not finished with my work here; I want to stay [in Jamaica]. I love the country, and I love the people, and I want to build a national team with local players and with some good overseas-based players.”
It is not the first time that the embattled head coach has been involved in disciplinary issues.
Recently, he was expelled from the Jamaica team bench after incidents against Nicaragua in World Cup qualifying and against Venezuela in the Copa America championship.
