Jack Warner head of the CONCACAF federation has launched a scathing attack on FIFA following the world governing body’s decision to change the way in which they select match officials for the World Cup.

FIFA announced yesterday that it will appoint trios of referees from the same country to officiate at matches at the next World Cup finals. The decision comes in the wake of criticism of refereeing standards at the past World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

‘It is almost impossible to understand the sheer self-interest and thoughtlessness of those who made this decision,’ stated Warner.

‘This effectively means an almost impenetrable roadblock for referees and assistants from CONCACAF, from Asia, from Africa, from Oceania – indeed from all but the select few of the high and mighty countries,’ Warner added.

Warner complained that the decision to select officials from the same country mean that a referee could be rejected for World Cup games not because there were not two other officials of the same standard from his country.

At the last World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter called for an improvement in standards of officiating at future tournaments.

‘Here we have a main referee from one country and he has two assistants from another country, and he’s never worked with them before,’ Blatter said.

‘Every trio of referees should have enough international exposure before being called on to officiate a World Cup match.’