 |
| Platini and Blatter |
Disgraced world soccer
president Sepp Blatter and the sport's European head, Michel Platini, will be
invited to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko
said on Monday.
Reuters
report continues:
Blatter
and Platini, the two men at the top of the world's most popular sport, were
banned by soccer governing body FIFA for eight years in December over a spate
of corruption scandals on their watch that, among other things, raised
questions about Russia's right to host the tournament.
Mutko
told Russia's R-Sport news agency on Sunday that Blatter and Platini were
appealing against their bans and still permitted to attend soccer events.
"Formally,
the suspension prohibits them from any position in football. But on the other
hand, how is that an outstanding player like Michel Platini can't go to the
football?" Mutko was quoted as saying. "We will invite them, I see no
problems with the events we are hosting."
President
Vladimir Putin has called Blatter "a very respected person" who had
done much for the development of global soccer, fostered it as a form of
cooperation between countries and peoples and therefore should get the Nobel
Peace Prize.
U.S. prosecutors have
charged 41 entities and people including soccer bosses from across the Americas
in a case they say involves US$200 million in bribes and kickbacks tied to the
marketing of major tournaments and matches.
No comments:
Post a Comment