February 9 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini will both be invited to the 2018 World Cup in Russia but in what capacity they would be permitted to attend is still not clear.
World Cup organiser and Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko say both will be welcome to attend the tournament in two years’ time.
Much depends of course on whether they remain banned from the game or whether they have managed to clear their respective names.
“Formally, the suspension prohibits them from any position in football,” Mutko told R-Sport. “But on the other hand, how is it that an outstanding player like Michel Platini can’t go to the football? We will invite them, I see no problems with the events we are hosting.”
Last year Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested Blatter should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize despite the corruption scandal that has engulfed world football’s governing body under his watch.
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