Warner calls on Caribbean to still back Blatter
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) — Suspended FIFA vice president Jack Warner has called on Caribbean football officials to continue backing Sepp Blatter in tomorrow’s presidential election.
Warner, who is banned from all football activities pending an investigation into bribery allegations, wrote a letter to members of the Caribbean Football Union on Tuesday, urging its members “to desist from initiating any protest” in tomorrow’s election when Blatter will be the only remaining candidate.
But at the same time as Warner sought to galvanise his Caribbean colleagues, he was reported to FIFA’s general secretary by executive committee member Chuck Blazer for breaching the terms of his ban — even before the letter was sent.
“I think he is violating the terms of his suspensions,” Blazer told The Associated Press. “I have sent that on to Jerome Valcke. FIFA has the matter and is dealing with it.”
Warner, president of the regional body CONCACAF and a vice president of FIFA, was suspended by an ethics committee after former CONCACAF ally Blazer reported him and Mohamed bin Hammam for offering bribes to delegates at a Caribbean football meeting to support the Qatari’s bid to replace Blatter. Bin Hammam pulled out of the contest hours before being suspended pending a full probe.
Warner responded to his suspension by releasing potentially damaging evidence against FIFA and was quoted yesterday saying Blatter must be “stopped.”
However, he told members of the Caribbean Football Union that his recent “battles” were personal and should not influence their vote.
“At our last meeting we agreed as a union to support the incumbent Joseph Sepp Blatter in his quest to regain the Presidency,” Warner wrote in a letter released by his office. “I wish to assure you nothing has changed — our mandate was set then and despite it all we must fulfil it.
“The battles I have fought over the last week are my burdens to bear; my shoulders are broad and skin is insulated to the verbal attacks I am subjected to daily. This is now my battle. I am humbled by all the support I continue to receive. Let us not be detracted for your duty is to football.”
The English and Scottish Football Associations have called for the election to be postponed while FIFA investigates its worst corruption crisis for 107 years, but they have failed to gain further support from within the 208-member organisation.
Warner urged “his brothers and sisters from the Caribbean Football Union to desist from initiating any protest action at tomorrow’s FIFA Congress.”
The 28-year veteran of FIFA’s executive committee added: “I know many of you are hurting and it is only human nature that you would want to demonstrate your anger but despite all we must not fuel a fire set by others to incinerate all that we strive for.”
Warner said people in the Caribbean have a “tattooed with stories of struggle, but we have always risen.”
“Daily we are subjected to attacks of division,” the Trinidad-native wrote. “Do not lose faith, for in life good will always prevail; there is no better education than adversity and when this is over we will rise from the ashes and like the phoenix of legend, we will soar once more.”