CONCACAF is to implement a two-tiered football competition for affiliated clubs for Caribbean Member Associations, starting in 2018, in an attempt to boost plans to raise the standard of the sport in the region.
The Caribbean Professional Club Championship (CPCC) for Tier One clubs is to be contested by the winner and runner-up clubs of the top professional and semi-professional Leagues in Year 1 (2018).
However, 2019 and onwards, only clubs from leagues that are fully professional will be eligible to participate in this competition.
Club licensing system
The CONCACAF Club Licensing system, which became mandatory in 2016, will form the foundation of the eligibility platform. The designation of the member associations’ league will be based on a CONCACAF League Survey, to be completed by member associations.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Amateur Club Championship (CACC) (Tier 2), will be open to the champion club of the top League in member association that have no professional or semi-professional league in year one (2018) and to amateur and semi-professional leagues in Year Two – 2019 and onwards.
Automatic Champions league qualification
The winner of the CPCC will qualify automatically for the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (2019 SCCL edition). The second and third place teams will qualify for the CONCACAF League 2018.
CONCACAF will focus most of its resources on the CPCC. This includes a subsidy for air travel for the clubs and covering 100 per cent of hotel, meals and ground transportation for the teams and match officials. Prize monies will also be introduced for this competition, a first for the Caribbean. For the CACC, a lower level of subsidy will be provided and no prize monies are contemplated.
