Putin accuses US of meddling into FIFA affairs

May 28, 2015 04:25 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 05:04 pm IST - MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to John Daniszewski, the Associated Press's Senior Managing Editor for International News, unseen, during an AP interview at Putin's Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013. Putin sought to downplay the current chill in the U.S.-Russian relations and said that the two countries need to cooperate on a range of issues in the interests of global stability, (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to John Daniszewski, the Associated Press's Senior Managing Editor for International News, unseen, during an AP interview at Putin's Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013. Putin sought to downplay the current chill in the U.S.-Russian relations and said that the two countries need to cooperate on a range of issues in the interests of global stability, (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States is meddling in FIFA’s affairs in an attempt to take the 2018 World Cup away from his country.

Mr. Putin said in televised comments on Thursday that it is “odd” that the probe was launched at the request of U.S. officials for crimes which do not involve its citizens and did not happen in the United States.

In a separate probe, Swiss prosecutors are investigating the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

Mr. Putin described Wednesday’s pre-dawn arrests of seven soccer officials in Zurich as “yet another evident attempt to derail Mr. Blatter’s re-election as FIFA president.”

Mr. Putin added he is aware of “the pressure” on Sepp Blatter for his support of Russia hosting the World Cup.

Watch Mr. Putin speak on the soccer issue:

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