FIFA chief Sepp Blatter, facing a bribery and corruption scandal over the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, has passed a resolution offering full support for its earlier decision to conduct the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Blatter announced the resolution by the executive committee of FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, during a meeting in St. Petersburg on July 25 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Blatter said at the meeting before the preliminary draw for the 2018 World Cup that the new resolution “assures the Russian Federation of [FIFA’s] full support in carrying out the World Cup in Russia in 2018.”
The resolution comes despite fresh allegations of widespread racism among Russian fans by Brazilian soccer star Hulk, who pulled out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup draw in St. Petersburg after complaining to the media that he had encountered racism in “almost every game.”
FIFA has asked the Russian Football Union to explain why it banned Ghanaian international player Emmanuel Frimpong for two games after he complained about racial abuse by Russian fans.
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