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FIFA refutes Warner TV rights allegations

FIFA said that Warner's statement last week included "several inaccuracies and falsehoods" and that the television rights issue "had nothing to do with the 1998 or 2002 election campaigns, or with any other election campaign.

"To imply the contrary is completely false," it added in a statement.

The Trinidadian, who had promised to unleash a "tsunami" against FIFA following his suspension, said on December 28 that he was awarded the rights for seven World Cups at a minimal fee.

Warner said the money he made from selling the rights "was used primarily to assist in the development of football in Trinidad and Tobago."

"This was just after Blatter had won the FIFA presidency following a most brutal campaign against Lennart Johansson, a campaign in which [Mohamed] bin Hammam and I played critical roles in support of Mr.Blatter," Warner said in his statement.

"Until 1998, TV rights were provided by the rights-holders for symbolic sums in many territories [for example in Africa], in order to maximise the worldwide television coverage and also to support national associations and confederations with a source of revenue for football development," it said.

It added: "Jack Warner obtained the TV rights for the FIFA World Cup in the Caribbean, for the purpose of supporting football development in the Caribbean Football Union, already in 1986, and not 1998.

"Such rights were ceded in order to provide an additional source of revenue for football development in the CFU."

It added: "TV rights for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in the Caribbean were approved by the FIFA executive committee at their November and December 2001 meetings, not after the 2002 elections."