Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter has insisted in a frank interview with 'Sport-Express' that he believes "the World Cup will go ahead, it will not be suspended," before taking the opportunity to criticise the English.
"The only organisation that can cancel or postpone the World Cup is FIFA, and what is the relationship between Russia and FIFA? The other day, Gianni Infantino [current FIFA president] and Vladimir Putin played football," said the Swiss.
There has been vocal criticism of the summer World Cup, including critics from England. "They are like that, they also spoke and acted against me, everybody does not like everything, the English do not know how to lose," Blatter said in that regard.
Despite his sanction, he is assured that he will attend the World Cup. "I have an invitation from the Head of State for Russia, let's see how it turns out: If I go at the beginning or end of the tournament [I'm not sure], I can't demand to go at specific time if I am going as a guest," said the former FIFA president.
When discussing his legal situation, he argued that there is ''an open process and I hope the decision is made even before the start of the World Cup. I am not sentenced by any court, they have punished me as they do with a suspended referee, player or coach and we will try to do everything possible to abolish this suspension," he explained.