LONDON (AP) β Sepp Blatter has cast further doubt on the integrity of World Cup votes, blaming Michel Platini for scuppering an agreement to award the 2022 tournament to the United States and suggesting Qatar benefited from collusion.
Blatter, who is suspended as FIFA president, spoke to the Financial Times almost a year after a FIFA investigation exonerated 2018 host Russia and 2022 winner Qatar of corruption in winning the contentious dual votes in 2010.
Blatter told the FT that there had been a behind-the-scenes agreement in place: “Let’s go to Russia and let’s go to the United States.”
Blatter claims this was “changed by governmental interference” in France before Platini, the UEFA president, voted for Qatar. Platini denies wrongdoing as do Russia and Qatar.
Blatter also says between “Spain and some South American voters together with Qatar … there was some evidence that they had some collusion.”
