Fifa scandal: Disgraced former executive Jack Warner banned from football for life

Former Fifa executive Jack Warner has been banned for life from football-related activities following an investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Warner, one of 14 people indicted in the Fifa corruption scandal and currently fighting extradition from his native Trinidad to the US to face the charges, was described by Fifa's ethics committee as a "key player" in alleged illegal payments.

Fifa's ethics committee has now ruled the former vice-president of football's world governing body committed "many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly" during his time at Fifa and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football [CONCACAF]. It has banned him from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for life.

A Fifa spokesperson said: "In his positions as a football official, he [Warner] was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes.

"He was found guilty of violations of art. 13 (General rules of conduct), art. 15 (Loyalty), art. 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting), art. 19 (Conflicts of interest), art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) and art. 41 (Obligation of the parties to collaborate) of the Fifa Code of Ethics."

The ban is effective from 25 September, the date on which the present decision was notified. Elsewhere, Swiss authorities have opened criminal proceedings against outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter on "suspicion of criminal mismanagement".

The 79-year-old is alleged to have assigned valuable World Cup television rights to the control of Warner and of making a "disloyal payment" of CHF2m (£1.3m, $2m) to Uefa president Michel Platini – an allegation they both deny has any illegal implications.