By Andrew Warshaw
April 21 – Sepp Blatter has a habit of deliberately saying the appropriate thing depending on his hosts at the time. So it was no surprise that the FIFA president sweet-talked Russian president Vladimir Putin when he visited Sochi for SportAccord.
FIFA may not recognise Russia’s occupation of Crimea but Blatter was at pains not to get drawn into politics after meeting with Putin.
Earlier this month, a group of US senators once again urged football’s world governing body to strip Russia of its role as World Cup hosts but Blatter told reporters nothing would stop Russia from staging the best tournament in its history in 2018.
“Some people are wanting the World Cup to be taken away from Russia, but we will give one answer to this – we are involved in football and we will not allow politics to get in the way,” said the 79-year-old Swiss.
“Everything is going to plan and nothing will get in the way of Russia hosting the best ever World Cup. The economic situation is not the best, but I know it will get better.
“The main thing is that the people of Russia are organising this tournament. The people want this championship to go ahead and I personally feel this.”
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has also advocated boycotting the tournament unless Moscow withdraws Russian troops which Kiev says are supporting separatist rebels in east Ukraine.
“If a few politicians are not particularly happy that we are hosting the World Cup in Russia, then I always tell them: ‘Well then, stay at home’,” countered a defiant Blatter who, it would appear, nevertheless sidestepped the issue of racism, the other issue that is casting a dark shadow over Russia’s preparations.
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