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Sports

Acting CONCACAF president accuses Blazer of 'waging war'

By Reuters
Published | Updated

By Simon Evans

Barbadian Lisle Austin has taken over from suspended Jack Warner, the FIFA vice-president barred from soccer activities pending a full inquiry into bribery charges, and on Tuesday announced he had fired CONCACAF general secretary Blazer.

American Blazer had filed the report on bribery allegations in the Caribbean which led to Warner's suspension.

On Wednesday, though, with the FIFA Congress discussing a 'zero tolerance' approach to corruption, Austin issued another statement via Warner's media service in Port of Spain, Trinidad, saying Blazer remained fired and the New York statements were not official.

"The statement released by the CONCACAF Media Department last night as it relates to the status of the former General Secretary Chuck Blazer are not the official views of CONCACAF," said Austin's latest statement.

"This is yet another blatant disregard for process and procedure by the former staff member.

ILLEGAL ACTIONS

"The former General Secretary was one of the administrators of the servers used by the CONCACAF department and has access to it and presently still has access to all of the Confederation's online service.

"The response from the CONCACAF Media Department is not only the fruit of illegal actions on the part of Mr Blazer, who is no longer the General Secretary of this Confederation, but is tantamount to trespassing since, the unauthorized use of CONCACAF's services and equipment by non-CONCACAF staff is unlawful," wrote Austin.

"In my capacity as Acting President, I will not order the immediate shut down of all online facilities of the Confederation due the integral role it plays in our day to day operations

"It saddens me to note that Mr. Blazer is using the online publications of a Confederation of which he is no longer employed to wage a war against the Office of the Acting President."

CONCACAF's premier tournament, the Gold Cup, starts on Sunday in Dallas featuring 12 teams playing in 13 venues across the United States.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)