FIFA vice-president Jack Warner insists that the BBC’s ‘Panorama’ investigation will kill any chance that England may have of hosting the World Cup in 2018.
As it stands, it has been reported that the Three Lions’ closest competitors are Russia, but Warner believes that the nation will be shooting itself in the foot when the programme – which will reveal alleged corruption within FIFA – is broadcast today. “The fact is that Panorama is on a death wish for the FA – they are vultures,” said Warner, according to The News of the World.
“I hope they do not succeed in what they are doing as it is unfair for the FA to be denied any chance of success because of them. If they have it in for Jack Warner their sport suffers and for me that is a disaster.

“That is the negativity that is so prevalent today. I’ve been talking to my colleagues at Fifa and wonder what Panorama can gain by trying to discredit Fifa who have to decide whether to vote for the FA bid?

“What can they gain by putting these guys in a negative light? What more can they say about Jack Warner or Sepp Blatter? They can say what they want because I won’t answer them.”

The FA would want to counter any hostility that the Panorama investigation would attract to England’s bid. But with little time left to counter any negativity created by the programme, Warner reiterated that it could do irreparable damage to the country’s chances of hosting the World Cup.

He added: “I have had no end of problems with the media. There seems to be some difficulty with certain people’s egos, they seem to have difficulty being objective.”

For their part, the FA are hoping that a hurriedly arranged friendly with Paraguay could help their 2018 bid.

David Dein, international president of England’s 2018 World Cup bid, flew to South America last week in an attempt to win the vote of Paraguay’s committee member, Nicolas Leoz.

England are preparing to cancel their clash with Argentina in February and replace it with a friendly against Paraguay in Copenhagen.

Leoz is currently thought to be backing the joint bid from Spain and Portugal, but the FA hope that Dein’s visit and the new fixture will help persuade him to switch his vote.(Goal.com)