CONCACAF will vote as block in FIFA election says Warner

By Andrew Warshaw

April 11 – The race for the FIFA Presidency has taken a significant early step with the revelation that the all-important CONCACAF confederation will vote as a block on June 1.

CONCACAF boss Jack Warner told a Caribbean newspaper group that the confederation would continue its tradition of putting on a united front when Sepp Blatter takes on the challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam during the FIFA Congress in Zurich.

In recent days, there have been conflicting reports about which candidate CONCACAF will decide to back when it holds its own congress in Miami on May 3.

One high-ranking FIFA source told insideworldfootball at the SportAccord convention in London last week that CONCACAF’s 35 members would most likely be split, breaking with tradition.

But Warner has confirmed they will once again vote together as Sepp Blatter tries to stave off a challenge from Bin Hammam, the President of the Asian Football Confederation.

“There are two men vying for the position at this time, both with compelling arguments why they should or should not be allowed to be at the head of FIFA,” Warner was quoted as saying in Guatamala.

Blatter is visiting three central American countries this week to drum up support but Warner would not say which of the two contenders would gain his confederation’s backing though Blatter is the strong favourite.

“All I will reveal at this time is that CONCACAF will vote as a united block,” he said.

“We are a unified Confederation and we will be discussing the matter in more detail at the CONCACAF Congress in Miami.”

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