PORT OF SPAIN: Jack Warner professed himself “very upbeat” after discussing with his UK lawyers the damning CONCACAF report into his financial stewardship of the central and North American confederation writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Warner, who had also been a vice-president of world federation FIFA, walked out on football in 2011 rather than answer ethics charges concerning voting bribery allegations.

Last month he quit as Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister for National Security after a raft of allegations over his financial dealings while in football. Warner has denied all wrongdoing.

Controversy

Over the weekend he met his legal team at the Havelange Centre of Excellence in Macoya which is at the centre of much of the controversy.

In a telephone interview, Warner told local media his lawyers had studied the CONCACAF report, produced by retired judge David Simmons.

Warner added: “I remain very upbeat and believe me, I mean this literally, I am very upbeat. One cannot understand how others could have come to any conclusion as they have come to.”

The Havelange Centre, Warner insisted a week earlier, had been gifted to him by former FIFA president Joao Havelange in return for CONCACAF putting all its votes behind Sepp Blatter in the world federation’s election in 1998.

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