Jersey FA to continue talks with Uefa over tournament for island football side

The new chief executive of the Jersey Football Association says the island must continue talks with Uefa about a tournament involving the island's team.

The JFA's bid to become a member of Europe's governing body - and with it an international footballing nation - was rejected in February.

"We have a very healthy dialogue with Uefa," said Jean-Luc Desbois.

"They've agreed to support us in terms of staging some tournament in Jersey in the future," he told BBC Radio Jersey.

The island side plays in the biennial Island Games, in which they have faces teams like Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands, who have gone on to become Uefa members.

But other opponents, such as the Isle of Man, play in the Conifa World Cup for unrecognised territories.

"What we've got to bear in mind is the bigger picture," added Desbois, who was speaking to the media for the first time since taking over the running of the Jersey FA last month.

"We still have a reliance on the English FA and we have to work with all of these parties to ensure that our game prospers going forward.

"They (Uefa) understand our challenges and they've agreed to support us. Not in membership at this stage, but certainly in a games programme and developing the game for our teams."