Unrepentant Warner says World Cup favours won't stop

Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner says the publishing of the 'Garcia Report' will not prevent prospective World Cup hosts using gifts and other favours to land tournaments.

Warner resigned from his role at world football's governing body, as well as CONCACAF president, after being suspended in the wake of bribery allegations in 2011.

Prior to that, however, he was considered one of the global game's most powerful men - a fact borne out in England's bid for the 2018 World Cup targeting the Trinidadian to "curry favour" in their attempt to host the competition - which was awarded to Russia.

According to the 'Garcia Report', Richard Sebro - considered an "adopted son" by Warner - was found jobs at Tottenham and Aston Villa by England 2018, who were also keen to facilitate "a pre season camp (at the FA's expense) at the FA technical centre" for Warner's Joe Public Football Club as well as help with "expertise with marketing/sponsorship, finance, and other administrative aspects".

An unrepentant Warner, however, says his actions - which he does not deny - were in keeping with how football behaved around the awarding of tournaments, and says the outing of such exploitation will no rid the sport of it.

He told the Times: "I continue to sleep very soundly at nights for nothing in the report implicates me personally in any sleaze.

"Everything I asked the FA for was for other persons or entities and never for my family or me. It is also informative to note that the FA was equally disposed to give.

"Nothing in the report that I asked for was out of the ordinary in the FIFA for the last 100 years as far as bidding countries are concerned and these new found purists in world football today will do the same thing and more next time around.

"The report is an expensive much ado about NOTHING."

The Garcia Report found that there was no smoking gun to prove corrupt practices in Qatar and Russia's bids for the World Cups in 2022 and 2018 respectively.