Rodchenkov expects 'clean' World Cup in Russia

Doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov has forecast the upcoming football World Cup finals in his native Russia will be "clean" for the duration of the month-long tournament.

Rodchenkov said today that the vast sums of money on offer to top footballers meant they and those around them such as their agents, had a huge financial interest in not risking their careers by being caught doping.

He argued that this meant football was at far less risk of drug scandals than sports such as athletics and weightlifting which have long been tainted by drug-taking.

Rodchenkov also said that as no Russian officials would be involved in any anti-doping work during the World Cup, which begins on June 14, as a result of recent scandals, there was far less chance of foul play.

The former Russian Anti-Doping Agency chief provided key evidence leading to suspensions of Russian athletes from global sport, including a ban from competing under the Russian flag at February's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Rodchenkov now lives in hiding in the United States, so he addressed the Sports, Politics and Integrity conference in London by videolink, wearing a balaclava and a large pair of dark-framed spectacles to conceal his identity.

Asked about the likelihood of a "clean" World Cup in Russia, Rodchenkov replied: "That is not an easy question to answer because I'm far from Russia and have information from the internet and mass media.

"I know it will only be foreign doping control.

"It should be clean in terms of this one month of competition in Russia, because there are controls and for such a major event WADA has a special team of independent observers.

"During competitions all people are clean, most things are done out of competition.

- 'No sophisticated doping'
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"In contrast to an athlete, any positive case and the entourage survived and continued their bad work."