Russia 2018 World Cup call taken before voting: Blatter

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Suspended FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) president, Sepp Blatter, has said in an interview that FIFA’s executive committee had “taken a double decision in 2010” regarding World Cup hosts, Russia (2018) and US (2022).

He told Russian news agency TASS in an interview that before the ballet, “it was agreed inside the group that we go to Russia because it (the Cup) has never been to eastern Europe, and for 2022 we go back to America. And, so we would have the World Cup in the two biggest political powers”.

But, after voting, 2022 World Cup went to Qatar, which according to Blatter was chosen over the US. Blatter’s explanation is that a meeting between then French President Nicolas Sarkozy and crown prince of Qatar (Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani) changed the course, and Qatar won a majority in the voting. The events after the voting put FIFA in a spot — 14 officials, including sports marketing officials and marketing executives, were indicted by the US Department of Justice in May for bribery and money laundering in an ongoing investigation.

Blatter, along with UEFA chief Michel Platini, is serving a 90-day suspension over corruption charges; both continue to deny it. 

Here are some of Blatter’s important statements in the TASS interview:

Voting that picked Qatar as World Cup host

“Everything was good until the moment when Sarkozy came in a meeting with the crown prince of Qatar, who is now the ruler of Qatar [Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani]. And at a lunch afterwards with Platini he said it would be good to go to Qatar. And this has changed all pattern.”

Was the double decision a mistake?

“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.”

Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup

“No, you (Russia) will never lose the World Cup. It has been anchored in FIFA. There will be no change in the World Cup.”

On England

“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.” 

On Platini

“Platini wanted to be Fifa president, but he did not have the courage to go as the president; and now, we are in such a situation in football.”

£1.35-mn payment probe against Platini 

“Yes, it’s a contract we have made. And it’s a principle I have in my life that if you owe money to somebody, you pay it. We paid it. That’s all. And this money was not paid for any other reasons.”

On revelations made by Blatter in the TASS interview, Agence France Presse tweeted this: