Bin Hammam and Warner respond to FIFA claims

FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam and vice president Jack Warner , who have been accused of bribery allegations, have denied any wrongdoing.



Bin Hammam has responded to allegations that he offered bribes for votes, suggesting the claim is "little more than a tactic" being used by Sepp Blatter, his opponent in next week's FIFA presidential election.



Warner told The Daily Telegraph that he “was unaware of any wrongdoing on my part”.



Bin Hammam and Warner will appear before FIFA's ethics committee on Sunday where they will answer to charges made by fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer are proved.



Bin Hammam said in a statement: "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."



Blazer, the general secretary of the CONCACAF federation of which Warner is president, has claimed that there were violations of FIFA's code of ethics during a meeting organised by Bin Hammam and Warner for Caribbean Football Union associations in the Bahamas. Two CFU officials, Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, have also been charged.



Bin Hammam added: "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 1 June as originally planned."



Interesting timing

Warner hinted that the charges were linked to the presidential election, in which Blatter is standing for a fourth term against Bin Hammam.



“I take note of the initiative by FIFA'S Ethics Committee and confirm that I have been invited to attend a hearing this week Sunday, May 29, 2011 in Zurich,” Warner said.



“I am unaware of the particulars of the matter being investigated by FIFA at this time, so I will therefore abstain from any comment until such time as I have been made aware of all that has been submitted to FIFA.



“It is informative to note that the CONCACAF, at its Congress in Miami on May 3, was informed of Bin Hamman being unable to get a US Visa to attend and that, as an alternative, he will like to meet the delegates in Trinidad on May 10.



“What I can say at this time is that I am not aware of any wrongdoing on my part and I shall listen to allegations made and respond accordingly.



“It is interesting to note the timing of these allegations and the hearing scheduled days before the FIFA Presidential elections.



“As this is now a formal procedure, I shall not be offering any further comment prior to the hearing on Sunday.”




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Mourinho claims he turned down England job

Jose Mourinho claims that he came close to becoming the England manager but underwent a last-minute change of heart.



The former Chelsea manager has admitted that he came within 'hours' of succeeding the sacked Steve McClaren in 2007, as the Football Association sought a new coach after the failure to qualify for Euro 2008.



Mourinho was a free agent at the time, having left Stamford Bridge two months before McClaren was fired.



But the Portuguese instead opted for Inter, where he enjoyed Treble-winning success, before moving on to his current job at Real Madrid.



Mourinho told l'Equipe: "I was hours away - I almost signed up for the England national team.



"But at the last minute I began thinking, 'I am going to coach a national side, there will be one match a month and the rest of the time I will be in my office or overseeing matches.



"And then to have to wait until the summer to compete in a European Championship or a World Cup'? No, it wasn't for me.



"So at the last moment I pulled back, preferring to wait for the right job to come along, a good club, a challenge that could motivate me. That was Inter (Milan)."



Mourinho was out of the game for nine months before being appointed Inter coach in June 2008, leaving them for Madrid last summer.



"When I left Chelsea, the first month was fantastic. I went to Africa, to Japan, I did tons of things I had not been able to do," he added.



"The second month was also good, but from the third onwards it was horrible, just awful."



Mourinho admitted he also came close to taking the Paris St Germain, but decided against it as he was not convinced by Ligue 1's quality.



Asked why he did not take the PSG post, he said: "I do not know. Perhaps because of the feeling that England, Spain or Italy are more powerful leagues, and we must make the most of the best years of our career by working at the highest level."



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