U.S. seeking to dispute organization of 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia - Zhirinovsky
MOSCOW. May 29 (Interfax) - Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Russian Liberal-Democratic Party (LDPR) and its Duma faction, believes the United States is seeking to oust the president of FIFA, the association football international governing body, in order to dispute the organization of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
"The aim of the scandal is to oust the international football association president, who has a positive attitude toward Russia, or undermine his authority. In case of his ousting in the May 29 election, the U.S. will try to dispute Russia's right to host the 2018 world championship through a new president, even though we can't be blamed for anything," the party press service quoted Zhirinovsky as saying on Friday.
The U.S. can't come to terms with the thought that "they are no longer the world's master, that there is another superpower, Russia, that a new superpower, China, is rising up, and that the European Union, too, will sooner or later get tired to be the U.S.' vassal," Zhirinovsky said.
As concerns corruption crimes in world football, there is nothing new in this, and the latest scandal in FIFA, including the arrests of its high-ranking officials in Switzerland, is yet another "provocative act by the U.S.," Zhirinovsky said.
"Big money is turning around in world football. Some information suggests that the shadow turnover alone amounts to some $50 billion. Certainly, there could have been some irregularities. They have been repeatedly investigated, those guilty were found and punished. But this case is nothing but the U.S.' impudent interference, as international officials were arrested on another continent at their instigation. This can be understood only as if the U.S. Department of Justice could impose its legal norms on the rest of the world," Zhirinovsky said.