FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, alleged of fresh corruption allegations by former FA chief Lord Triesman this week, has poured further scorn on the sensational allegations that he asked for money to build an education centre in Trinidad in exchange for supporting England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Warner was named by former England bid chairman Triesman as one of four Executive Committee members who asked for sweeteners during the bid process campaign.
Warner issued a strongly-worded denial, hitting back at Triesman by questioning his own credibility, initially stating: “I have no intention of dignifying that piece of nonsense of Triesman who no doubt feels that he can revive his dying political career by mentioning that piece of foolishness.
“I have never asked Triesman nor any other person, Englishman or otherwise, for any money for my vote at any time.
“In the English World Cup campaign, before he was unceremoniously kicked out, I have spoken to Triesman, on his initiative, only on three occasions, while I have spoken to his other colleagues on other occasions and not one of his colleagues will ever corroborate his bit of trivia.
“I have been in FIFA for 29 years and this will astound many I am sure including persons like [other England 2018 members] David Dein and Geoff Thompson.
“This is the last I intend to say on the matter.”
However, in a report published in Trinidad today, Warner went on to throw the book at the way England conducted its 2018 campaign, adding: “I laugh like hell because it took those guys from December to now [to know] that I have £2.5m (US$4.1m).
“I never asked anybody for anything. When these guys came here [in September 2010], they promised to help. I took them to Longdenville, I showed them a place where they can put a playground. They promised to come back but they never did. That’s all.”
Despite getting his facts wrong in terms of how much England spent on their bid, Warner accused England, who only received two votes, of sour grapes, saying: “What is painful is that the FA spent £19m ($31m) in a bid, 24 persons in the FIFA (incorrect as only 22 were allowed to vote), one is from England, seven [others] of whom from Europe.
“How come not even one person from Europe voted for them? And they’re looking for all different reasons. Why don’t they, in a dispassionate way, sit down and ask why not one European voted for them?”
“The important thing is that I think nobody of substance really takes those guys seriously,” Warner continued.
“Triesman was unceremoniously removed. Where is his credibility? At the end of the day, I hold my head tall because I can stand up and tell the world I never accepted anything. People who know me would be totally dismissive of that nonsense.”
In his scathing tirade, Warner made another mistake, saying that Triesman had claimed that Brazilian Ricardo Teixeira had asked for a knighthood, when actually Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz faced that accusation.
“He [Triesman] said that Ricardo Teixeira asked him for a knighthood but Brazil does not have a single knight, so why should Teixeira ask him to be called Sir Ricardo Teixeira, in Brazil? This is the kind of foolishness you have to understand and bear and what is for me painful.”
Meanwhile, FIFA presidential challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam, who desperately needs Warner’s support in his campaign, defended the Trinidadian CONCACAF President, claiming: “You need, and I need, and the court needs the evidence.
“The evidence is very important. When you come with accusations bring the evidence.”
