Astonishing we know, but Sepp Blatter has let slip the revelation today that FIFA may be just the teeny, tiniest bit dodgy.
The organisation’s suspended president has admitted that FIFA had an under-the-table agreement in place to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia before the vote had even taken place.
FIFA in corruption shocker! We know, we can’t bloody believe it either.
According to ESPN FC, Blatter 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 United States – right up until the point that UEFA president Michel Platini decided to start backing Qatar.
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 [then-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 also added that there is no chance of Russia now losing the 2018 tournament as the decision is “anchored” within FIFA.
Looks like we’re moving into the ‘petty in-fighting, mud-slinging and back-stabbing’ phase of the FIFA ship’s grand scuttling.
*Sigh*