Fifa president Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel Prize, says Russian
president Vladimir Putin.
World football's
governing body is engulfed in a corruption crisis,including
an investigation into the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia.
Yet Putin is a big fan
of the under-fire Blatter, 79.
"People like Mr
Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic
Games, deserve special recognition," he said.
"If there is anyone
who deserves the Nobel Prize, it's those people."
Blatter announced he
would be stepping down on 2 June following the arrest of seven Fifa officials
as part of an investigation that saw 14 people indicted on corruption charges.
A separate criminal
investigation by Swiss authorities into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were
allocated is also under way.
Blatter has said he has
a "clear conscience" and is
planning to remain in office until Fifa holds an extraordinary congress to
elect his successor next February.
"We all know the
situation developing around Mr Blatter right now," added Putin in an
interview with Swiss television.
"I don't want to go
into details. but I don't believe a word about him being involved in corruption
personally."
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