FIFA President Blatter opposes Russia World Cup boycott

“A boycott will never give any positive effect,” the FIFA president told the R-Sport news agency in comments translated into Russian.

“We trust the country, its government,” added Blatter who was in the Russian capital to attend the official launch of the 2018 logo.

“FIFA unconditionally supports the staging of the World Cup by Russia,” he stated.

Diplomatic sources said last month that European nations were discussing a possible boycott of the World Cup because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Some politicians in Britain, Germany and the United States have called on FIFA to withdraw the World Cup from Russia.

“When we receive letters from North America (asking for the World Cup to withdrawn), we tell them that this is football,” Blatter said.

“Russia is the world’s biggest country. You know, Russia is in the eye of the international media. Football can not only unite Russia but show the whole world that it is stronger than any protest movement.”

He compared the situation with Russia’s hosting of the Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this year, when Western leaders stayed away.

“There was the same situation ahead of Sochi, but neither during nor after the Games, has there been a single word against these Games.”

Meanwhile, the 2018 World Cup logo was simultaneously presented to the public on a live Russian TV late chat show and also as a part of a light show projection on the facade of Russia’s historic Bolshoi Theatre.

The logo, which was unveiled by the Russian cosmonaut Maxim Surayev in a live broadcasting from the international space station 400 kilometres above Earth, represented the ball surrounded by the elements of the traditional Russian decor in the shape of the World Cup trophy.

The TV show was also attended by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko and Italy’s former football great Fabio Cannavaro.

“Today is the World Cup’s kick-off as we introduce the event’s official logo,” Blatter said at the ceremony. “I’m confident that the World Cup here will be a success.”

“Of course I already saw the logo and I liked it very much. This is the symbol of the country, its heart and soul.”

– ‘Ahead of schedule’ –

Blatter said he was happy with Russia’s work on the 2018 World Cup. Twelve stadiums in 11 cities are to be used.

“I can say that in comparison with Brazil, Russia is considerably ahead of schedule with four years remaining before the event’s start,” Blatter said.

Blatter toured Moscow’s iconic Luzhniki stadium that is undergoing a major rehaul and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who pledged to get the work done on time.

“We have no doubt that Russia can complete all the work on schedule. And, of course, at the highest level of quality,” Putin told the FIFA delegation.

The FIFA boss added that the opening ceremony of the 2018 World Cup could take place a day ahead of the tournament’s opening match.

“It’s possible,” he said.

“We tried to do that at the 2006 World Cup in Germany but it didn’t work well.

“But I’m confident that in 2018 the ceremony should go off earlier. There are three stadiums in Moscow where we can hold the event’s opening ceremony.”

FIFA secretary general Valcke meanwhile said the football’s governing body was happy with an inspection tour of the Russia’s World Cup venues this month.

The joint FIFA and local organising committee group went to the construction site of the Zenit arena in Saint Petersburg, the Kazan arena, which is already operational, the Sochi Olympics Fisht arena and the reconstruction of Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium and Spartak Moscow’s 42,000-seat Otkrytie arena, which went into service in September.

“The inspection tour was very well-organised,” Valcke told reporters.

“We’re completely satisfied with all of the facilities of the World Cup in Russia.

“Russia has done a great amount of preparation work at all of the levels.”

The 2018 World Cup will take place in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don. AFP