US Olympic Development Programme (ODP) coach Keith Tabatznik was hired as an assistant to national team coach Keith Tucker without the consent of the Bermuda Football Association's executive, BFA sources have claimed.

Local football's governing body issued a statement yesterday confirming that the former Georgetown University coach had been appointed on an "honorarium" basis until March 20 to assist with Bermuda's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

But when later contacted various BFA sources said they had no knowledge Tabatznik had been brought in, or was even on the Island.

"As far I know nothing has been approved by the executive which is the normal process," one BFA source told The Royal Gazette.

Tabatznik arrived on the Island late last week and was introduced to national team players over the weekend.

BFA president Larry Mussenden insisted yesterday that Tabatznik's appointment was completed in the correct fashion.

Mussenden said in a BFA statement: "The BFA announce that at the request of coach (Keith) Tucker, Keith Tabatznik, a leading coach in the US, with whom coach Tucker has worked with extensively, has joined the senior national team coaching staff as an assistant coach to assist in the preparation of the Bermuda national team for the match against Cayman Islands.

"The Technical Committee comprising (of) Clyde Best, Gary Darrell, Troy Harvey, Fred Lewis and Lee Holder along with Larry Mussenden all gave their support to the request by coach Tucker for him to have Tabaznik join the coaching staff.

"Tabatznik arrived in Bermuda last Thursday, with immigration permission, to join the coaching staff in Bermuda for a short period up to the time when the national team depart Bermuda (for Cayman Island).

"The team under Bermudian coach Keith Tucker (and Bermudian assistant coaches Kenny Thompson (Somerset Eagles) and Shawn Smith (Devonshire Cougars)) are now preparing for the away match in Cayman Islands (March 30) when we must defeat Cayman Islands in order to advance to the next round when we will play against Trinidad & Tobago, a team that made it to the World Cup in Germany two years ago."

Mussenden added: "Tabatznik has attended one training session with the team and will join the other sessions over the upcoming weeks.

"As a member of the coaching staff, he will be evaluating the team performance, working on offence and defence, as well as on game strategy.

"He has spent some time reviewing the game tapes from the recent Cayman Islands match and some training session tapes.

"Tabatznik is a former head coach of Georgetown University and former National Coach of the USA B team (and) is currently the technical director of Maryland Olympic Development Program (ODP)."

Last month saw Kenny Thompson return to the national team set-up to work as an assistant to Tucker.

Thompson replaced PHC assistant coach Jack Castle as Tucker's deputy. Castle was sacked after falling out with Tucker over team tactics.

Sports Editor's note: None of the media were informed of the appointment of Keith Tabatznik as is the normal procedure when the governing body of a national sport employ a coach from overseas.

Bermuda Football Association confirmed Tabatznik's appointment yesterday and issued a statement, but only after being made aware that The Royal Gazette would be running the above story