Warner claims World Cup TV rights deal with Blatter

By Andrew Warshaw

December 29 – Jack Warner (pictured left), the former FIFA vice-president who walked away from football rather than face a potentially damning probe into his role in the infamous cash-for-votes scandal, stepped up his attempts at revenge today by claiming he was awarded FIFA World Cup television rights for as little as $1 (£0.65/€0.77) in return for helping Sepp Blatter gain the Presidency of world football’s ruling body.

Warner resigned in June to avoid investigation into his role in arranging payments for Caribbean voters during Mohamed Bin Hammam’s ultimately doomed election challenge to Blatter.

At the time, Warner said he’d been “hung out to dry” after 30 years with FIFA while Bin Hammam, the former Asian Football Confederation chief, has been banned for life pending appeal.

Warner, who has suddenly re-emerged with a raft of allegations following months of relative silence, said in a statement that FIFA gave him the 1998 World Cup rights in Trinidad & Tobago for a mere $1.

“This was just after Blatter had won the FIFA Presidency following a most brutal campaign against Lennart Johansson, a campaign in which [Mohamed] Bin Hammam and I played critical roles in support of Mr.Blatter,” Warner said.

He said he was also sold the rights to more World Cups after helping Blatter get re-elected in 2002 and 2006.

“President Blatter sold me, not the CFU (Caribbean Football Union), the World Cup TV rights for 2002 and 2006, no doubt in appreciation of the work I did [with Bin Hammam] for his re-election.

“The sale of these rights was used to develop Caribbean football.”

FIFA said it would “look into” Warner’s comments but made no further comment.

Earlier this week, Warner, whose resignation covered all football activities, broke his silence by launching a bitter tirade against Blatter accusing the FIFA President of “megalomania, covert racism and discrimination” just at the time when Blatter is at pains to clean up the game.

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