FIFA chief Blatter to attend 2018 World Cup preliminary draw

  23 June 2015    Read: 983
FIFA chief Blatter to attend 2018 World Cup preliminary draw
According to Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, all 209 national football federations will be present at the event
President Sepp Blatter will take part in the qualifying draw of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in St. Petersburg on July 25, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told on Tuesday.

"Of course, he [Blatter] will attend [the draw]," Mutko said adding that all 209 national football federations will be present at the event.

"Preparations [for the draw] are going as planned." the minister said.

Swiss prosecutors granted access to over 100 bank transactions in FIFA corruption probe
Blatter was reelected for his fifth consecutive four-year presidential term on May 29, when his only rival Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan pulled out after the first round of vote.

However, addressing a news conference in Zurich four days after his reelection, Blatter said he decided to lay down his mandate at FIFA extraordinary elective Congress.

The extraordinary FIFA Executive Committee meeting to announce the date for the extraordinary elective Congress is due on July 20 in Zurich.

An unprecedented corruption scandal flared up in FIFA on May 27 as seven of the organization’s high-ranking officials were arrested in Switzerland on bribery, money laundering and corruption charges. They are facing extradition to the United States.

Simultaneously, it was reported that Switzerland’s police have opened criminal proceedings against a group of unknown persons linked to money laundering during the awarding of the 2010, 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

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