Russia describe England World Cup complaint as "absolutely primitive"

By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich

October 27 – The verbal spat between England and Russia over their fight for the 2018 World Cup took on yet another twist tonight when England were blasted as being “absolutely primitive” for making a formal complaint to FIFA about their chief rival’s behaviour.

As revealed exclusively by insideworldfootball yesterday,England protested against Alexei Sorokin, chief executive of Russia’s bid, for highlighting London’s “high crime rate” and youth alcohol problems in an interview with a Russian sports paper.

England believe Sorokin’s comments may have contravened FIFA’s rules outlawing bid nations from denigrating their rivals.

Sorokin responded by saying his comments were totally misinterpreted.

But now Viacheslav Koloskov, one of the most powerful officials in Russian football, has come out all guns blazing, claiming England only made their move because they were behind Russia in the bidding process and were “afraid of how badly their bid is going”.

Koloskov (pictured), Hononory President of the Russian Football Union (RFU) and for many years a senior member at FIFA and UEFA, described England as “absolutely primitive” for being so mean-spirited and petty.

His comments to a Russian sports website were translated by a fluent Russian working for ITV.com.

“It’s a comical situation,” he was reported as saying.

“The English are afraid of how badly their bid is going.

“Their journalists are provoking members of the Committee, and they now say one of the members of our bidding team has spoken out against England in an improper manner.

“I think it’s a raising of tensions, and also an attempt to in some way influence the work of our bidding team.

“These acts have little chance of success.

“Russia should not be afraid of sanctions.

“There won’t even be an investigation.

“The behaviour of the English is absolutely primitive.

“Instead of talking about their own excellence and merits, they try to put off their opponents.”

Ironically Koloskov’s remarks could be construed as far more serious than those of Sorokin and came just as England, Russia and FIFA were rumoured to have held peace talks at a secret Zurich location to try and end all the squabbling.

Earlier, FIFA confirmed they had received the England complaint but declined to say whether it would form part of their Ethics Committee investigation into alleged bribery and corruption.

It is understood the England bid team are seeking a formal apology from Sorokin for trying to undermine their bid though Sorokin has so far declined to go that far

“I will provide an explanation to FIFA but I do not feel that what I said originally requires an apology,” he said before revealing that he had sent a letter to England’s bid in the hope of putting to rest “any misunderstanding” between the two.

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