‘A very negative figure for football’ – FIFA president Infantino throws cold water on Warner legacy

By Sports Desk November 19, 2019

FIFA president Gianni Infantino did not mince words in reference to former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, insisting he had very little regard for the embattled official.

Infantino was recently in Trinidad and Tobago for the opening ceremony of a new hotel at the home of football in Couva.

“A very instrumental, negative figure for football, unfortunately,” was the FIFA President’s blunt assessment of Warner’s legacy when asked by the local media.

“I don’t need to say anything about that. The courts have spoken about that and will continue to speak about that," he added.

Warner, who was also a former CONCACAF president and special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), was banned from the sport for life in 2015, in light of his alleged involvement in money laundering and wire fraud. Warner is currently battling extradition to the United States. In 2015, the former government minister was one of several other FIFA officials arrested in Zurich before the annual FIFA Congress.

Earlier this year a United States court ruled that Warner should repay US$79 million that he had fraudulently obtained from CONCACAF.

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Brown, who previously served as a first vice president under the David John-Williams administration, failed in his bid to get re-elected as second vice president’s position in Sunday’s elections, losing to United TTFA candidate Clynt Taylor.

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“The vote by delegates for the United TTFA is No problem. They all intend to get billions from NIKE. Did they ask themselves the question: Why would a brand associate itself with a team that lost 14 out of 15 games? What exactly is the benefit to the brand? Unless the United TTFA plans to provide Nike with a new slogan; ‘Wear NIKE and Lose’,” he continued.

“I look forward to the TTFA urgently receiving the promised Nike sponsorship millions to avoid the TTFA from being declared bankrupt or avoiding insolvency.”
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