Blatter praises Russia's "remarkable" World Cup bid

By Andrew Warshaw

May 4 - FIFA President Sepp Blatter has wracked up the tension ahead of next week’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid book handover by labelling Russia’s campaign as “remarkable”.

Blatter visited Russia, rapidly emerging as England’s main rival to host the 2018 tournament, in January and was apparently hugely impressed by what he saw.

“I was there recently and what they presented is remarkable,” he told the London Evening Standard.

“Russia is not a country but a continent and Russia has big plans to expand.”

Also hoping to host the tournament in 2018 are joint bids from both Belgium and the Netherlands and Spain and Portugal. Australia and the United States complete the list of six but Blatter now admits he expects the tournament to be held in Europe - an open secret for several months and the reason Japan has announced it is now concentrating only on 2022.

“I think for 2018 it will be a European candidate,” Blatter said.

“But apart from England you have the bid from Spain and Portugal, the small but very pleasant bid of the Netherlands and Belgium, and the big Russia also wants to come in.”

England’s campaign team are doing everything in their power to avoid complacency but Blatter suggested they may already be victims of English football’s established infrastructure and popularity.

“Listen, it [England’s bid] is the easiest bid in the world.

“They have the football already organised.

“They have everything.

“England has no problem in delivering a World Cup.

“The other bidders must convince the executive.

“England does not have to convince us.

“We know England can stage the World Cup.

“But England winning [the right to stage it] – I am not so sure.”

Blatter’s comments, while forthright, should not be overplayed.

A few days before praising Russia’s credentials, he said virtually the same thing about Qatar’s World Cup bid.

In other words, it all depends where he is at the time.

Nevertheless, it is clear the Russians are making great strides while publicly keeping a low profile as they build the case for taking the World Cup to Eastern Europe for the first time.

While England’s bid team awaits the outcome of the General Election and the level of support it will subsequently receive, Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is reportedly preparing to adopt a leading role, just as he did when he headed the Russian delegation that resulted in Sochi winning the right to put on the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The hosts of both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be decided at a meeting of FIFA’s Executive Committee in December.

The next critical stage comes on May 14 when all candidates converge on FIFA headquarters in Zurich for the formal handing over of the respective bid books, comprising each candidate’s technical capabilities.

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