Russia says will assist FIFA in probing bidding campaign to host 2018, 2022 world cups
MOSCOW. Oct 7 (Interfax) - The organizing committee of the 2018 world football cup in Russia said it is ready to cooperate with FIFA in matters pertaining to the bidding campaign for the right to host the world championships in 2018 and 2022.
"The Russia-2018 organizing committee is ready to help FIFA and its representatives, in any convenient and acceptable form, should queries arise in connection with the inquiry into the bidding campaign for the right to host the world cups in 2018 and 2022," Interfax was told at Russia-2018 organizing committee.
Interfax earlier asked the organizing committee to provide an official commentary on media reports claiming that the head of the FIFA investigative department for ethics, Michael Garcia, could have problems entering Russia. Garcia was blacklisted after the Dima Yakovlev Law, banning American adoptions of Russian children, was passed in Russia, and he will be the first foreign official to get confronted with sanctions, media reports said.
"The Russian biding campaign was run in full accordance with the FIFA ethics. Russia became the host of the 2018 football championship because it had offered the most original and appealing strategy. The Russian organizing committee is doing the preparatory work for the 2018 championship, guided by the principles of maximum transparency and adherence to the football ideals and the spirit of honest play," the Russian organizing committee said in a letter.