PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has warned Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his government they cannot intervene in the sale of tickets for the 2006 World Cup in Germany this year.

Warner, also a special advisor to the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation, was responding to Manning's statement at Thursday's post-Cabinet press conference where he said that government would have to discuss the availability of World Cup tickets with "those in authority in football in Trinidad and Tobago."
But Warner explained that no government in the world could intervene in FIFA's business.

"That's the bottom line," Warner said Friday. "If this (confusion) is what qualification (for Trinidad and Tobago) meant, I would have had second thoughts. Why are we making this an issue? Mr Manning represents the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. FIFA doesn't deal with Governments."

He also accused Manning of getting involved in the tickets sales issue so he could appease his political supporters.

The issue of ticket sales came to the fore last week following a controversy arising from Warner's announcement that the TTFF had appointed his family firm Simpaul's Travel Agents as the exclusive charter operator for the 2006 Football World Cup.
Warner said the entire issue was having a negative impact on Trinidad and Tobago internationally.

"It's embarrassing us all over the world when people read about these things, it's embarrassing," Warner argued.
"Let Mr Manning intervene. How and when I don't know that will be done, but let him intervene if he has to. If that sounds good for the electorate, then so be it."
He added: "This thing is of no interest to me, no value to me. I want to move ahead."

Warner said Manning should be asked to say how he planned to intervene in the matter and that the PM should give "at least one example in the world where such a thing was ever done".

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