FA to Probe FIFA President Sepp Blatter's Claim That 2018 World Cup was Awarded to Russia Before Vote Which Included Failed England Bid
Sepp Blatter Claims Russia was Given World Cup in 2018 BEFORE The Vote
- He also said the US was set to be given the tournament in 2022
- FA chairman Greg Dyke was speaking in front of a Commons Committee
- He said the organisation would look into Blatter's stunning claim
Daily Mail UK, 28 October 2015
Sepp Blatter has revealed there was an agreement in place for the 2018 World Cup to go to Russia even before the vote took place.
The suspended FIFA president has told Russian news agency TASS that the tournament was always lined up to go to Russia with the 2022 World Cup to be held in the US - until Michel Platini decided to throw his weight behind Qatar.
Blatter's comments will spark further controversy over World Cup bidding - England, Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Holland spent tens of millions of pounds on bidding against Russia.
Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter has attacked Michel Platini and the British media in an interview with a Russian news agency (pictured)
Blatter said personal attacks on him by Platini had triggered the meltdown in world football's governing body
Blatter did not expand on who exactly had 'agreed' for Russia to be hosts, but claimed the crisis in FIFA had been prompted by England and the USA being 'bad losers' as a result of their World Cup bid failures.
Blatter told TASS: 'In 2010 we had a discussion of the World Cup and then we went to a double decision. For the World Cups it was agreed that we go to Russia because it's never been in Russia, eastern Europe, and for 2022 we go back to America. And so we will have the World Cup in the two biggest political powers.
'And everything was good until the moment when (French president Nicolas) Sarkozy came in a meeting with the crown prince of Qatar, who is now the ruler of Qatar. And at a lunch afterwards with Mr Platini he said it would be good to go to Qatar. And this has changed all pattern.
'There was an election by secret ballot. Four votes from Europe went away from the USA and so the result was 14 to eight. If you put the four votes, it would have been 12 to 10. If the USA was given the World Cup, we would only speak about the wonderful World Cup 2018 in Russia and we would not speak about any problems at FIFA.'
Blatter revealed Russia were chosen as hosts before the vote but that the USA should have hosted in 2022
Blatter went on to blame his arch-rival Platini for causing the meltdown in world football's ruling body.
UEFA president Platini, who like Blatter is banned for 90 days, started the personal attacks because he wanted to lead FIFA and then it escalated into a world political battle.
Blatter also blamed England and its media - again - and America for stirring up the conflict because they lost out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The deposed FIFA leader has repeatedly breached ethics committee regulations by speaking to the media about his football business while serving his temporary ban along with with Platini.
Their suspensions followed revelations about the £1.35m consultancy cheque from Blatter that Platini received in 2011 nine years after his FIFA employment was completed.
Blatter again claims in the Tass interview that FIFA couldn't afford to pay Platini at the time.
He added that he first fell out with Platini when UEFA didn't invite him to the Euro 2008 championships in Switzerland and Austria. They have an 'anti-FIFA virus', said Blatter.
After claiming there was a plan by the European Union Parliament to oust him from the presidency, Blatter says he was the victim of a 'personal attack' by Platini.
'It was Platini against me,' he said. 'He started it, but then it became politics.
Platini, like Blatter, is currently suspended while a £1.35m payment from 2011 is investigated
The pair were close friends but their relationship soured when Blatter wasn't invited by UEFA to Euro 2008
'And when it is in politics, it is not any longer Platini against me. It is then those, who have lost the World Cup. England against Russia. They lost the World Cup. And the USA lost the World Cup against Qatar.
'But you cannot destroy FIFA. FIFA is not the Swiss bank. FIFA is not a commercial company. So, what they have done together with the Swiss, they have created this attack towards FIFA and the president of FIFA.
'And I am sure that at the beginning when UEFA said they don't want me, they didn't know that finally it came out with such a political importance.'
Asked why Platini has such a strong personal dislike for him, Blatter claims it is because the Frenchman wanted to be FIFA president and is motivated by 'jealousy'.
Totally unconcerned by the prospect of breaching the terms of his suspension, Blatter calls it a 'total nonsense'.
Revealing more details about the payment that led to both his and Platini's suspension, Blatter said the former France international approached him at the end of the 1998 World Cup.
They made an arrangement that Platini would work on Blatter's behalf but would be paid at a later date.
In 2010, eight years after his employment with FIFA ended, Platini came to Blatter and demanded the £1.35m owed be paid.
Launching into yet more criticism of the British media, Blatter labelled them 'bad losers' for agitating to have Russia stripped of the 2018 World Cup.
He said: 'In Great Britain they have made this beautiful game, they have introduced fair play. But there was only one vote going for England.
'They were eliminated in the first round. Nobody wanted to have England.'
Blatter shakes hands with Russian president Vladimir Putin following the award of the 2018 World Cup
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