Warner: South Africa World Cup will break even
By David Owen (InsideWorldFootball.biz)
February 24 - Jack Warner has entered the debate about the wisdom of staging the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, telling insideworldfootball in an exclusive interview that it was “inconceivable” that South Africa could put on as financially successful a tournament as Germany.
But the CONCACAF President and veteran FIFA powerbroker said he thought the competition would break even and that ticket sales would pick up as the event, due to start on June 11, got nearer.
Speaking in the run-up to Saturday’s Caribbean Football Union Congress in Port of Spain, Trinidad, at which England 2018 World Cup bid emissaries David Dein and Andy Anson are expected, Warner, who is also a FIFA Vice President, told Insideworldfootball: .
“It is inconceivable that one could expect a World Cup in South Africa to be as successful financially as Germany [host of the 2006 tournament].
“But I am sure the South Africans will, in their own way, organise a successful World Cup.
“I don’t think [FIFA] will lose any money.”
He added that, while financial considerations were never secondary, least of all during the current global economic downturn, he felt it was important for Africa - and for FIFA – to demonstrate that confederations and continents were not discriminated against.
Warner said he is “relishing” the upcoming visit of Dein (pictured), the England bid’s new international president, and Anson, its chief executive, while emphasising that he was not “fully au courant” with new developments relating to the bid.
“Last year, I was unhappy,” he said. “As of now, I have no idea of what improvements they have made.”
“If Jack Warner decides to vote for England, he will do so vis ŕ vis the collective views of his membership.”
He confirmed that his first loyalty was to the United States bid – the only one from within the ranks of his CONCACAF confederation – but he said that the England bid realised that and respected it.
Warner revealed that he would be taking his English guests to Longdenville, a small village in central Trinidad where his father had once settled.
“They are asking for help with one of their facilities,” he said.
“I am taking them there to meet some villagers.”
Warner told Insideworldfootball that he had no wish to run for the FIFA Presidency.
He said that while he had read about possible Asian contenders, he had had “no official advice” that there were any candidates.
He was waiting to hear further developments.
Expectations are mounting of a possible challenge to FIFA President Joseph Blatter at the next presidential election due next year.
