Blatter quizzed over World Cups to Russia, Qatar

Paris (AFP) – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was called as a witness into a French investigation into the controversial awarding of the World Cups to Russia in 2018 and Qatar 2022, a source said on Thursday.

Blatter, the long-time head of scandal-plagued FIFA until he was forced out in 2015 and banned from football, gave testimony in Switzerland on April 20, the source close to the investigation said, confirming a report in France’s Le Monde newspaper,

Last year French financial authorities opened a preliminary investigation into allegations of corruption, criminal association and influence-peddling at FIFA in connection with the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Swiss and US investigators are also pursuing action at FIFA.

The awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was particularly controversial with countries with a more established culture of football and football infrastructure missing out.

The FIFA Executive Committee vote to give 2022 to Qatar was one of the triggers for the crisis at FIFA and the end of Blatter’s long reign.