Coup at CONCACAF? Blazer tags Warner, Bin Hammam with bribery allegations

Less than a month away from the Gold Cup, it looks as if a civil war is brewing within CONCACAF. FIFA has summoned CONCACAF head Jack Warner and FIFA presidential hopeful Mohamed Bin Hammam to answer to bribery allegations. They will appear in Zurich on Sunday.

Allegations dealing with misconduct in CONCACAF or even FIFA aren’t new. It’s like a broken record. But what’s fascinating this time around is the identity of the whistleblower. The report came from Warner’s No. 2, CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer. That was confirmed by FIFA on Wednesday.

“On May 24, 2011, FIFA executive committee member and CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer reported to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke possible violations of the FIFA code of Ethics allegedly committed by officials. “In particular, the report referred to a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), apparently organised jointly by FIFA vice-president Jack A. Warner and FIFA executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam, which took place on May 10 and 11 2011. This meeting was linked to the upcoming FIFA presidential election.”

Bin Hammam was denied entry into the United States to attend CONCACAF’s regular meeting — where he had hoped to pitch the heads of the region’s federations, including the Canadian Soccer Association, about why the region should support his campaign to oust incumbent president Sepp Blatter. So, Warner helped arrange for Bin Hammam to meet a large contingent of the regional leadership.

It’s no secret that CONCACAF officials felt like they had been slapped in the face when FIFA decided not increase the number of World Cup spots allocated to the region. Interestingly, when the Gold Cup draw was announced, it was Blazer who had no problem slamming Blatter and the FIFA executive.

“They knew I was angry when I sat in the room with them,” said Blazer. (More on that HERE) But now it’s Blazer who may have cemented Blatter’s re-election in June by making these allegations against his boss and Bin Hammam. And, one has to wonder if Blazer is also orchestrating a bloodless coup within CONCACAF. Bin Hammam was quick to put up his own statement of defence on his website.

“This has been a difficult and painful day for me today. “But, if there is even the slightest justice in the world, these allegations will vanish in the wind. This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the FIFA presidential election.

“I remain deeply indebted to Mr. Warner for his sense of Fair Play because, without his support and understanding, I would not have been able to meet with several important Member Associations of FIFA to discuss my election manifesto.

“Here I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean.

“I will speak to Mr. Warner on this subject and offer him my full support in ensuring we are discharged honourably by the FIFA Ethics Committee, a body which I hold in the highest esteem.

“I am confident that there is no charge to answer and that I will be free to stand in the FIFA Presidential election on June 1 as originally planned.

“I will have no further comment to make on this matter until after I appear before the FIFA Ethics Committee and I would like to apologize to all members of the media in advance for not being able to discuss this issue with them until the conclusion the hearing.”