Warner backs down over e-mail claims

Suspended CONCACAF president Jack Warner has backed down after promising to release a 'tsunami' on the football world with his revelations about FIFA.

Warner had claimed he was about to release emails containing confidential discussions with FIFA president Sepp Blatter but, instead, said his lawyers had advised him against such action.

"I had plans to speak to you today a bit more on this matter but the best legal advice I received has suggested that I do not do so at this point in time and that advice I am going to respect," Warner, who is Trinidad's Minister of Works and Transport, told supporters from his political party at the rally.

Warner has been suspended amid an investigation into bribery and corruption at world football's governing body and is under the spotlight for an alleged meeting he organised with Asian Football Confederation head Mohammed Bin Hammam.

However, Warner has denied any wrongdoing, adding: "I haven't thieved anything, I haven't given anybody anything and I don't know what the hullabaloo is all about."

Meanwhile, the FIFA 'whistleblower' who was fired and then reinstated within the space of a few hours, Chuck Blazer, also refused to add fuel to the fire when speaking ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"I can assure that things are normal, that it is business as usual. This is very much the Cup that you have seen before and the Cup you will see in the future and everything is being done by the direction of the executive committee and I am in place as the general secretary," he said.

"I think (the fans) can have confidence in the future because this is a major effort to do things in the right way and if we accomplish that by the end of this entire process, we will have done a lot of good and for the right reasons.''

Meanwhile, Blatter said he would not support a lifetime ban for people who offer bribes despite his new 'zero tolerance' approach.

He told CNN: "No - to say if there is an offence against an ethic code, it is a life ban - everyone has the right to defend itself.

"Zero tolerance is not a killing instinct that we have to kill people. Zero tolerance means that if you commit something outside the play of field, you will have a punishment. But it can be a yellow card, it can be a red card, it can be a suspension for two games, three game [or] a lifetime."