Warner claims he got television rights for $1

Former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has said he was awarded World Cup television rights for as little as $1 (Dh3.67) in return for helping Sepp Blatter win elections for the presidency of world football's ruling body. Warner, who resigned from Fifa in June amid bribery allegations, said in a statement on Thursday that the organisation awarded him the 1998 World Cup rights in his native Trinidad & Tobago for $1 after he helped Blatter win a "brutal" campaign to become Fifa president. A former president of regional body Concacaf and the Caribbean Football Union, Warner also said he was sold the rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups after helping Blatter get re-elected in 2002, and later bought the 2010 and 2014 rights. The accusations are the latest twist to the corruption accusations and infighting that have dogged Fifa throughout 2011. Asked about Warner's claims, Fifa said in a statement that "we are currently looking into the matter." Once a Blatter ally, Warner switched his allegiance to Qatar's Mohammad Bin Hammam during Fifa's presidential election this year. After being suspended by Fifa in May, Warner had threatened to unleash a "tsunami" of corruption allegations against the organisation. On Thursday, Warner said that he and Bin Hammam had helped Blatter in 2002.