soccer team in Jamaica yesterday praised the report written by the board of inquiry aimed at cleaning up the game.

Burkhard Ziese, fired as BFA Technical Director of Coaching just days before the board began conducting interviews last January, said yesterday from his home in Germany that the portions of the report he had seen so far showed that "it was obvious to me that some people were not so responsible as they should have been according to my opinion.'' When asked to elaborate, Ziese added: "Those people who in my view were and still are responsible for certain issues which have happened (in Jamaica).'' The outspoken Ziese, whose short and often tempestuous reign in Bermuda lasted little over a year, launched legal proceedings against the BFA for unfair dismissal and said he was hoping the case would be heard shortly.

In his first extensive interview since the firing, Ziese told The Royal Gazette that "I still believe that whatever I did was done in the best interest of the players, (and) definitely in the best interest of the BFA.'' Ziese has been receiving faxed clippings of newspaper stories related to the board's report "from my friends in Bermuda'' since it was tabled last Friday by Sports Minister Pam Gordon.

Although the board -- comprised of chairman the Hon. Sir John Sharpe, Eugene Blakeney, Louis Mowbray, Kenneth Richardson and Calvin Symonds -- said they were not out to find scapegoats for what happened in Jamaica, they did conclude that BFA officials showed "no evidence of concern about drugs''.

Ziese first sounded an alarm about drugs two days after the team arrived in Jamaica when he informed Neville Tyrrell, the head of delegation, that he, along with coach Mark Trott, believed that five to seven players were smoking marijuana. Two days later teams officials met with several players and three of them admitted smoking marijuana.

Although Ziese recommended that the players be sent home, the board's report defended the decision not to do that since no one had actually been found smoking.

"I wanted to send the players home,'' Ziese said yesterday. "Those who had admitted they had a drug problem should have been sent home immediately.'' Ziese said he wasn't sure the current BFA executive would be able to carry through on recommendations contained in the report.

"The question is whether the BFA wants to be committed...especially if the clubs are saying no. I see a big problem of not selling alcohol during matches. But it could be done. If the clubs as well as the association want to do it, it should work.

"One main thing that I found out in my 12 months in Bermuda was that unfortunately too many in responsible positions...I am not saying that they are not responsible.. . have a total different interpretation of the word responsibility than me.

"Everyone seemed to know that something was going on and then one president said he was shocked that all his players were smoking.

"I was sacked because I was honest and in my view I will never have the feeling that I was not faithful to the (BFA). But certain people within the association had again a different thinking of football, fair play, drug testing, drug taking, drug importing and drug possession.'' Ziese said yesterday he was still involved in soccer watching first and second division matches in Germany and working with various coaches.

"I'm more or less fully engaged, but I'm not being paid.'' Later he added: "I think things have to change in Bermuda. The country is too beautiful to become a drug resort and no longer a holiday resort.'' Meanwhile, BFA president Richard Thompson had no immediate comment on the board's report.

"The Bermuda Football Association will be responding to that report, but at this time I have nothing to say,'' said Thompson yesterday. "We will, though, have a response sometime this week.'' BURKHARD ZIESE -- "I still believe that whatever I did was in the best interest of the players...and BFA.''