FIFA extend ban on Austin

FIFA has made CONCACAF acting president Lisle Austin’s ban worldwide, the governing body said on Thursday.

Austin, who was deputising for the suspended former president Jack Warner, had been provisionally banned from the federation on Saturday for allegedly violating rules.

But FIFA said that ban had been extended to global.

“We can confirm that FIFA has today notified CONCACAF that the FIFA disciplinary committee has extended the provisional suspension of Lisle Austin at a worldwide level,” the body said in an email to Reuters.

Warner, along with Asian Football Confederation chairman Mohamed Bin Hammam, were both suspended after allegations of bribery.

CONCACAF are yet to explain the decision to suspend Austin, citing ‘apparent infringement’.

FIFA will not explain their decision either, only pointing to CONCACAF as the body who made the initial ban.

But Austin’s spokesman Ryan Toohey said he knew nothing of FIFA’s latest decision.

“Mr Austin has not been notified of any action by FIFA regarding any suspension. There is no existing suspension so there is nothing to extend,” he said.

“Lisle Austin remains acting president of CONCACAF and has urged FIFA to intervene and resolve these so-called leadership questions.”

Before FIFA’s statement, Austin said he was the victim and he planned to continue in his role as acting president.

“These actions and additional statements questioning my leadership are being engineered by a faction of CONCACAF attempting to unlawfully seize control,” he said.

“The actions and statements of these persons are beyond their authority and are neither the actions of, nor binding upon, CONCACAF. As acting president I will take all appropriate steps to remedy these actions.”

“The organisation is under attack from within by those who refuse to respect the statutes of CONCACAF and have no regard for the rights and interests of the members at large.”

“I will not stand idly by while this happens and hope, through FIFA intervention or other means, to restore order to CONCACAF as soon as possible.”

Prior to being suspended, Austin attempted to fire general secretary Chuck Blazer and was planning an audit of the organisation’s bank accounts.

Honduran Alfredo Hawit has been put in charge of the confederation for the time being.