{"id":131654,"date":"2015-07-05T13:59:39","date_gmt":"2015-07-05T13:59:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=131654"},"modified":"2015-07-05T13:59:39","modified_gmt":"2015-07-05T13:59:39","slug":"sepp-blatter-blames-politics-for-qatar-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/07\/sepp-blatter-blames-politics-for-qatar-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Sepp Blatter blames politics for Qatar vote"},"content":{"rendered":"
French and German presidents applied political pressure prior to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes, according to Fifa president Sepp Blatter.<\/p>\n
He alleges ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his German counterpart Christian Wulff sought to influence voting before Qatar and Russia were chosen as respective hosts in 2010.<\/p>\n
Blatter, 79, said: “That is the reason why we now have a World Cup in Qatar.”<\/p>\n
The voting process is now under investigation by the Swiss prosecutors.<\/p>\n
He added: “Those who decided this should also take the responsibility.”<\/p>\n
Blatter announced on 2 June he would step down from the presidencyat world football’s governing body at an extraordinary congress to be held between December and March.<\/p>\n
His decision followed an investigation into alleged corruption at Fifawhich has seen 18 people indicted in the United States. Blatter said he has “nothing to fear” on a personal level.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Germany’s Welt am Sonntag<\/span>