Suspended Fifa president Sepp Blatter has suggested there was an agreement in place for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup – before the vote took place.
The 79-year-old told Russian news agency Tass of a «discussion» in 2010 around future World Cups.
He also said a late swing in the voting towards Qatar undid a similar agreement to give the 2022 World Cup to the USA.
The Swiss is serving a 90-day ban alongside Uefa chief Michel Platini. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
Asked about whether it was a mistake to award the 2018 and 2022 tournaments simultaneously, Blatter replied: «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.
– Mr. Blatter, when did you realize that FIFA was in a big trouble?
– The big crisis started on May 26-27 in Zurich when they arrested six members directly or indirectly involved in FIFA. It is funny to say, they had a journalist at the hotel at six o’clock in the morning. An American journalist. And then there was a big tsunami in FIFA. And everybody said who is responsible for that: “That’s the president, Blatter, he is responsible!” But I object. How can I be responsible morally for all the people? The accusations, which were made to these members, were not in activity with FIFA. It was in activity with a confederation. It was between South America and the Central, North America, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, where they have had made a big business for the next year Copa America and got some money by securitization of television contracts and then they started to distribute this money.
tass.ru
El suspendido presidente de la FIFA Josep Blatter en entrevista con la agencia tass de Rusia, dijo que la decision de orotgar la sede del mundial del 2018 a Rusia se pridujo antes de la votacion y que el principal responsable del escandalo es Michel Platini, por sus deseos de convertirse en Presidente de ese Organismo…
Sobre los supuestos sobornos para ortorgar las sedes de Rusia y Qatar dijo que se utilizo el mismo criterio de dar participacion a todo el mundo…en el caso de Rusia un mundial no se habia realizado antes en el Este de Europa y en el 2022 regresar a America…
Se defendio sobre el actual escandalo preguntadose como puede el ser responsable de la moral de las personas y acuso directamente a los funcionarios de Conmebol y Concacaf por el escandalo en torno a los derechos de la copa america Centenario y los derechos de televisión, que han generado el pedido de Extradicion por parte del fiscal de Estados Unidos…
Blatter aclaro que esos funcionarios no tienen funciones directas en FIFA, sino en sus respectivas Confederaciones.