January 22 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter today met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow to discuss Russia’s bid to host the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup.
Russia’s bid, which was officially launched last October, has the full support of the Government, with a high-level steering committee established under First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.
Medvedev, a fan of Zenit St Petersburg, said: ”Football is the most popular type of sport.
“People love it everywhere.
“It’s not surprising then that they love it in Russia.
“Even today, when it is minus 25 [degrees Celsius] outside, people are playing football.”
Blatter’s meeting with Medvedev followed one last October with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
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