Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter sat down with some Russian journalists in a Q&A that was published by TASS on Wednesday morning, reports the National Post.
The most striking claim he makes is that FIFA had decided to give the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to the United States before the vote was taken in 2010, only to have France intervene:
Do you think it was a mistake to simultaneously hold the elections of both 2018 and 2022 World Cups in 2010?
“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 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 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.”
'Sarkozy' is Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president from 2007-12. Platini is UEFA president Michel Platini, Blatter’s French ally-turned-rival who also has been suspended by FIFA over an illegal payment he allegedly received from Blatter in 2011.