ZURICH: The Swiss television channel which has embarrassed FIFA over the Caribbean World Cup rights deal has queried the accuracy of the world football federation’s response.

An SRF programme published a contract through which, for only $600,000, Jack Warner received control over the rights to sub-licence television coverage of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. The contract was signed off by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Warner, the Trinidadian who was then president of both CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union, subsequently sold the rights for between $18m and $20m to the Jamaican cable provider Sportsmax.

SRF questioned the profit Warner had obtained and the lack of accountability within FIFA.

A statement from FIFA in response claimed that it had been due, under the terms of the contract, to receive 50pc of the surplus with the other half being invested in football in the region.

However SRF then claimed that the contract stipulates that FIFA was due to share only half of the advertising revenue and not the broadcast revenue royalties.

In fact FIFA received appears to have received nothing at all and has not indicated that if ever pursued the monies was due. It said only that “the CFU made several breaches to the contract and failed to meet its financial obligations. The obligations concerning the required pre-approval for subcontracting were not met either.

“For these reasons, FIFA terminated its contract with the CFU on 25 July 2011.”

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