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CONCACAF President Jack Warner choice to lead

Saturday, January 27 2007

CONCACAF President Jack Warner returns home from Dusseldorf, Ger-many today after attending the UEFA Congress where he witnessed the election for the UEFA presidency which was won by Frenchman Michel Platini yesterday.

Hours after witnessing the final of the Digicel Caribbean Cup, Warner headed off to Europe and offered his support for Platini. The Frenchman was also endorsed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

The 51-year-old Platini was elected by Europe?s 52 national football associations at the 31st Ordinary UEFA Congress.

He received 27 votes, while the incumbent UEFA President Lennart Johansson received 23 votes, with two votes ruled invalid. Upon his election, Platini proposed that Johansson become UEFA honorary president after 17 years of outstanding service at the helm of European football.

Warner meantime also praised the Haitian Football Federation following their team?s success in the Digicel Caribbean Cup.

?It is a title that was hard fought and well-deserved as your team played with a passion and determination against some of the best rated teams in the region.

?Caribbean football is growing from strength to strength and your team has shown that they continue to grow as the region grows and have not remained stagnant despite the many challenges that you continue to face at home,? Warner wrote to Haitian Federation President Dr Yves Jean Bart.

?Please convey my congratulations to the players, the coach and all the members of the technical staff for a fine performance throughout the tournament with best wishes for success at the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup.?

The CFU President also expressed satisfaction to the TTFF for the way in which their young team competed, finishing runners-up.

?I wish to congratulate the national team of Trinidad and Tobago on their fine performances during the recently concluded Digicel Caribbean Compe-tition, the Caribbean?s premier football tournament.

?To have emerged as runners-up in a competition against ever increasing performances from our Caribbean counterparts is no easy feat for what was a very young and untested team, who had to shoulder the enormous responsibility of following in the footsteps of a World Cup qualifying Team could not have been an easy task.

?The young players, however, gave very creditable performances throughout, with moments of brilliance that augur well for the future of Trinidad and Tobago?s football,? Warner stated in his letter to the TTFF.