International Football
FIFA BANNED-JACK WARNER THRILLED OVER US’ WORLD CUP ELIMINATION
Former longest serving FIFA executive committee member who later became the vice president, Jack Warner is celebrating the ouster of the United States’ team from the World Cup 2018.
It was the charges of corruption levied against the Trinidad and Tobago businessman that triggered off chains of events leading to the disgraceful exit of Warner from FIFA.
He was subsequently banned for life from football.
“I wanted to party,” Warner said in a Trinidad radio interview, which was reported by the Trinidad Express newspaper website. “I have not been in better spirits.
“”This is the happiest day of my life.” Warner, a former president of North American regional football group CONCACAF, was charged with wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering in a major US scandal that led to changes at FIFA and his being banned in September of last year.
So when the US squad lost 2-1 at Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday and were undone when Panama and Honduras took victories to pass them on the final table, Warner had a feeling of payback.
Warner said the Americans “reduced football in CONCACAF to a nightmare. They have used their government to help to dismember FIFA in a way that is unimaginable. And last night on the field of play Trinidad and Tobago reduced them to their knees.
“For me personally, it has reduced the US to a laughing stock… As far as I am concerned this is the beginning of the end for US football. Nobody in CONCACAF likes the US.”
Warner said he knew there was celebration in the United States at his downfall from football and he took pleasure in seeing the USA’s disappointing flop, the Americans missing out on their first World Cup since 1986.
“Last September 27 when the judge ruled against Jack Warner there was a party in the US, they were quite happy,” Warner said.
“Knowing that this has happened I wanted to go out and party as they partied last September when a judge ruled against me. I wanted to party. This was my personal feeling.”