Warner claims bid demands ‘not out of ordinary’

Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner insists he asked for “nothing out of the ordinary” in the controversial race for the 2018 World Cup.

The decision to award Russia the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 edition in December 2010 has been dogged by allegations of bribery and corruption ever since.

FIFA’s long-awaited report into the bidding process was published by football’s world governing body on Tuesday.

In that report the England 2018 World Cup bid team was found to have “accommodated or at least attempted to satisfy the improper request” of FIFA executive committee members, including Warner.

Warner, who denies any wrongdoing, had been a long-standing member of the FIFA executive committee, but became embroiled in corruption allegations before being provisionally suspended by the FIFA ethics committee.

He was then subsequently arrested and charged in the United States of America as part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into money-laundering.

In 2015, Warner was banned from taking part in any football-related activity for life.

However, the 74-year-old − speaking in an email sent to The Times − claims there was nothing unusual about his requests and even...