Blatter in Moscow for 'private' visit: Kremlin

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter is in Moscow on a private visit meaning that all the meetings he has during his stay in the Russian capital will be private as well, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednsesday.

"As far as I know, Blatter is here for a private visit, that's why all meetings that might take place, they will be a part of his private visit and cannot be considered official," Peskov said when asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was going to meet Blatter, Sputnik news agency reported.

Peskov added that he was not in a position to say how the former FIFA President had obtained tickets for the World Cup match.

Blatter, who is banned from taking part in any FIFA activities until 2022, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday saying that he came "to enjoy the World Cup", which kicked off on June 14.

Earlier, media reported that Blatter would attend Wednesday's match between Portugal and Morocco at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

Blatter served as FIFA President from 1998 till 2015 but stepped down in June 2015 amid a massive corruption scandal and was subsequently banned by the FIFA Ethics Committee from all the activities of world football's governing body for eight years. The ban was later reduced to six years.

--IANS

pur/soni/