Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter will be allowed to attend the 2018 World Cup in Russia after being invited by Russian president Vladimir Putin, even though the world football’s governing body banned him from football.
A Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday confirmed that the 81-year-old Swiss man will be allowed to visit the tournament in next year.
“You know that Putin and Blatter have long been, we can say, friends. The World Cup is a big soccer party and old friends will be welcomed too. Mr. Putin knows [Michael] Platini well too and we will be happy to see them in Moscow.” Peskov said.
“I will go to the World Cup in Russia. I received an invitation from president Putin. I don’t know how long I will go for whether I will be there for the opening the game or the final. ” Blatter said to the media.
“I’m sure that the World Cup 2018 will be a great World Cup. Russia has to show that it can welcome the whole world. It’s a big challenge.
“I’m waiting for retirement one day, but when we don’t move forward, we go back. The bodywork has been repaired and the engine continues to run very well.” he added.
Sepp Blatter was banned for six years from any football-related activity by FIFA’s domestic justice for a controversial payment of 2 million Swiss francs to his ex-friend and ally Michael Platini.
Sepp Blatter and Michael Platini before banned by FIFA. (Source:www.dailymirror.co.uk)
Blatter was forced to leave his post in full wave of scandals in 2015 after led football’s governing body for 17 years. The octogenarian is always ready to talk about the world football situation.
Except for the criminal proceedings against his former secretary general Jerome Valcke and beIN Media Sports, Nasser al-Khelaifi, revealed last week by the Swiss authorities, the first would have been corrupted by the second for the rights of broadcast of several World Cups editions.
After being banned, Valcke has had ample time to discover the wheels of justice, at Swiss or French. He charged in particular for suspicion of unfair management and misuse of corporate assets, for a suspicious payment of 1.8 millions to Platini and Blatter.
