By David Owen
December 6 – Russian World Cup bid leader Alexei Sorokin (pictured) was struck by malaria during his country’s successful campaign to win the right to host the 2018 World Cup.
Sorokin, chief executive of the Russian bid, told insideworldfootball in an exclusive interview that his worst moment of the campaign was when “I realised I had got malaria on one of my trips to Africa.
“There was a two-week period which went sort of blank.
“I was feeling well and then suddenly I felt bad.
“I didn’t remember where I went…
“It took me about three weeks to recover.”
In a brisk one-on-one interview conducted just before his departure from Zurich, the Swiss city where FIFA is headquartered, Sorokin paid tribute to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, describing him as “a great inspirational force for our bid”.
Putin created a sensation among those tracking the contest – which pitted Russia against England and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium – by deciding not to come to Zurich to lobby ahead of the vote by 22 FIFA Executive Committee members.
But Sorokin said: “Whether he came or not, we felt his support all the way.
“It was felt so strongly and clearly to us that we felt pretty safe even without his arrival before the presentation.
“And he promised to come anyway if we won.”
Sorokin also emphasised that Executive Committee members were left absolutely sure of Putin’s support for the Russian bid.
Sitting in the room where, less than 48 hours earlier, I had watched as representatives of other bids engaged FIFA Executive Committee members in earnest conversation, Sorokin disclosed that when asked “officially or semi-officially” about Russia’s chances, “I always said it’s in the vicinity of 70-75 per cent”.
“There could be no 100 per cent assurance…about winning,” he said.
Asked whether rumours of collusion involving other bidders in the simultaneous 2018 and 2022 races had affected his confidence, he said: “These were only rumours.
“Not only were they not proven officially, but we never really received from many, many conversations with the ExCo members any substantive proof that this collusion exists.”
Asked at what point he became really confident that the three representatives of CONCACAF, the North and Central American and Caribbean football confederation, would back Russia, as they appear to have done in preference to England, he replied: “We knew the people who were sympathetic to our bid.
“We knew the people who could possibly trust in us.
“But there was never 100 per cent assurance.
“The ExCo members were really very careful in talking to us after certain events.
“We felt that we could earn their support.
“They seemed to have been quite impressed with their visits and we are thankful to the CONCACAF members because [two of them], Jack Warner and Chuck Blazer, visited Russia.
“We saw that they were quite impressed with what they came across and the reception that they received.
“So we thought it might be a pivotal point in their deliberations over who to vote for.”
Though clearly very tired after a gruelling campaign, Sorokin indicated he would be keen to stay and manage the World Cup project if asked to do so, saying: “Yes, if the offer comes across I would like to seriously consider it.”
He also made it clear that he accepted the verdict of FIFA inspectors who had warned that “any delay in the completion of the transport projects [in Russia’s bid] could impact on FIFA’s tournament operations”.
“It was never a secret,” he said.
“We knew there are certain things that need to be upgraded.
“We said it openly to the inspection commission.
“We submitted documents that proved that certain programmes in this direction are already being implemented.
“There is money that is earmarked, there is spending already approved.
“There is no chance this would not be implemented.”
With disarming candour, he acknowledged that he had forgotten to ask Vitaly Mutko, the Russian Executive Committee member, how he had voted in the 2022 race.
“Honestly, I forgot to ask him,” Sorokin said.
“I will ask him when I come back.
“I thought about it when he left yesterday that we never discussed 2022.
“We were so excited by the decision.”
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734942389labto1734942389ofdlr1734942389owedi1734942389sni@n1734942389ewo.d1734942389ivad1734942389
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