CFU Release - Warner returns from witnessing Platini's pick

CFU MEDIA RELEASE

Warner returns from witnessing Platini’s pick                                 January  26, 2007

 

CONCACAF President Jack Warner returns home from Dusseldorf, Germany on Saturday after attending the UEFA Congress where he also witnessed the elections for UEFA Presidency which was won by Frenchman Michel Platini on Friday.

 

Hours after witnessing the final of the Digicel Caribbean Cup, Warner headed off to Europe and offered his support for Platini as seen in the photo with the former French star on the eve of the elections.

 

The 51-year-old Frenchman was elected by Europe's 52 national football associations at the 31st Ordinary UEFA Congress in the German city of Dusseldorf on Friday.

 

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

 

Warner meantime also poured high remarks on the Haitian Football Federation following its 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 some satisfaction to the TTFF for the way in which its young team competed at the competition, finishing runners up.

“I wish to congratulate the Senior National Team of Trinidad & Tobago on their fine performances during the recently concluded Digicel Caribbean Competition, 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 added in his letter to the TTFF.