Warner quotes FIFA exec as saying Qatar ‘bought’ World Cup

CONCACAF president Jack Warner threatened a "football tsunami" would soon hit FIFA, and after he learned of the suspension handed to him and the Asian Football Confederation's Qatari president Mohamed Bin Hammam over allegations of handing out cash bribes, he unleashed the first storm. Via highly professional information outlet that is the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors Facebook page.

In Warner's rambling, cut-throat response to his punishment, he shared a message from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke (pictured above, center) that casts even further doubt over how Qatar managed to win the 2022 World Cup, which has already been subjected to one round of vote buying accusations.

Says the utterly unreliable source that is FIFA vice president Jack Warner:

On May 18 when I realised that the political battle between Blatter and Bin Hammam was getting out of hand I wrote Secretary General Valcke telling him, among other things, that the outcome of the elections may cause some fracture in the Arab world� which we can ill afford now and that I will like to ask Bin Hammam to withdraw from the race. To which Jerome replied to me and I quote :

"For MBH [Mohamed Bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Sepp Blatter]. Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC [World Cup]. I have a bet since day one, he will withdraw but on June 1st after his 10 min speech. By doing so he can say he push Blatter to make new commitments bla bla bla and get out under applause. Before means he is a looser. So...He will get some votes. Less than 60 today after CAF support. It will be the "coup de grace" if you would officially send a message as the CONCACAF President by saying CONCACAF supports unanimously. So I am not giving you an advice but just my feeling about what I think is the situation."

Even if Warner can produce documents to back up this quote, and the fact that FIFA executives generally accept that the World Cup was bought can be proven, Jack's tsunami probably still won't be in the forecast. A passing thunderstorm, maybe, but, like cockroaches, FIFA's ability to survive anything is unmatched.

Now, implicating his alleged co-conspirator in a separate bribery case may seem like an odd way for Warner to defend Bin Hammam and himself, but it just goes to show how widespread the corruption is in this organization. They can't defend themselves/attack their fellow members on one matter without bumping into incrimination on another. It's like they're all trying to make their way through a gold-plated house of mirrors and we just have to sit and watch.

Photo: AP

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