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(CNN)Leaders worldwide are playing football with the game of football -- specifically, its powerful and polarizing governing body, FIFA. And, as in a tough match, things are getting testy.
The comments and calls for action Thursday come a day after U.S. authorities announced the indictment against 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives in a corruption investigation, and the opening of a Swiss investigation into possible shenanigans related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids that went to Russia and Qatar, respectively.
Some, like British Prime Minister David Cameron, have called for an end to Sepp Blatter's presidency at FIFA.
Not Russian President Vladimir Putin, though. He stood firmly behind Blatter in comments posted Thursday on the Kremlin's website. And he suggested that politics has much to do with U.S. actions.Russia got the 2018 tournament despite "pressure" on Blatter to prevent it from happening, Putin said -- suggesting that's one reason U.S. authorities went after his organization. (Along with being at odds with Russia on numerous world issues, the United States bid unsuccessfully for the 2022 World Cup.)
Calling it "strange" that U.S. authorities are charging FIFA officials even though that organization is based in Switzerland, Putin hinted that something more nefarious was at play.
"This is yet another obvious attempt to spread their jurisdiction to other (countries)," he said, referring to the United States.
Putin mentioned Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term during a scheduled vote Friday, saying he has "no doubt that this is obviously an attempt to prevent Mr. Blatter's re-election (as) FIFA president."
The Russian President then invoked the name of a man who -- unlike Blatter -- has been charged by U.S. authorities: Edward Snowden. The former National Security Agency contractor faces espionage charges for leaking confidential material online. He's not in U.S. custody, though, having been granted temporary asylum by Russia.
"Our American partners use their own methods for their ulterior purposes," Putin said, noting leaks by Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange about American spying methods. "They are illegally persecuting people. I do not rule out the possibility that the same goes for this situation with FIFA."
Will the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups be moved?
That still seems unlikely at this point.
FIFA has already announced the results of its own investigation into the bidding process for the two competitions, saying it found no corruption and had no reason to reopen the bidding process. (But Michael Garcia, the American lawyer who led the investigation, said FIFA's public summary of his report was "incomplete and erroneous.")
Редактирано от torlakov-93629 на 28.05.15 16:36.
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ФИФА в пролетна цветна ревАлюция
