Jack Warner, arrested ex-Fifa exec, cites satirical Onion article in attack on the USA's World Cup ambitions
Jack Warner, former Fifa vice president, has been widely mocked on social media after being caught quoting a satirical news article from the Onion stating that the US wants to host a 2015 World Cup.
Following Sepp Blatter’s re-lection as Fifa president, Warner posted a video on WarnerTV defending himself against US corruption charges after he was among nine people linked with the football body arrested as part of a US investigation.
Warner, who now leads the Trinidad and Tobago Independent Liberal Party, rebuked the criminal allegations, in turn accusing the US of orchestrating the arrests to derail the World Cups in Russia and Qatar.
He said: "If Fifa is so bad, why is it the USA wants to keep the Fifa World Cup?" he asked referring to a print out of the satirical article.
“Why is it the US authorities sought to embarrass Fifa in Zurich? Something has to be wrong. I made the point to you over and over that all this... has stemmed from the failed US bid to host the World Cup.
“They lost to Qatar, a small country, a Muslim country .... No country in the world have divine right to host the World Cup."
Warner was released from custody in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday after paying $400,000 bail.