Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the disgraced and alleged corrupt FIFA President Joseph “Sepp” Blatter deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.
Putin spewed the remarks on the day Blatter appears before the FIFA ethics committee. Blatter issues his resignation in June, effective early next year, due to the biggest corruption scandal in FIFA’s history. The U.S. justice system has charged “41 people including national soccer bosses as well as entities.” Switzerland’s attorney general’s office launched an investigation against Blatter in September.
FIFA raised eyebrows when it awarded Russia with the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 World Cup. In May 2014, Blatter admitted it was a mistake to allow Qatar to host the tournament due to scorching temperatures in the country. The choice forced FIFA to move the tournament to December.
Blatter met with Putin in April about the 2018 World Cup. He claimed the tournament will “build bridges.”
His tweet received a massive backlash.
In July, Putin casually mentioned Blatter as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“We all know the situation developing around Mr. Blatter right now,” said Putin. “I don’t want to go into details, but I don’t believe a word about him being involved [sic] in corruption personally. I think people like Mr. Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition. If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel Prize, it’s those people.”