Fifa's Sepp Blatter 'Deserves a Nobel Prize', Says Putin

FIFA president Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel prize, the Russian president Vladimir Putin said.

The statesman's eyebrow-raising remarks come as the under-fire football's world governing body battles a corruption scandal that has rocked the sport.

Fifa executives were arrested at the end of May and accused of alleged bribery including the decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia.

Blatter, a 79-year-old Swiss, has denied any wrongdoing and has not charged or summonsed.

But on June 2 Blatter said he will resign after a 17-year reign at the helm.

Blatter and Putin were most recently seen together at Saturday's draw in Saint Petersburg, Russia, for the European qualifying competition of the 2018 World Cup.

Mr Putin said in an interview with Swiss TV: "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.

"We all know the situation developing around Mr Blatter right now.

"I don't want to go into details but I don't believe a word about him being involved in corruption personally."

It is not clear which of the Nobel Prizes Putin thinks Blatter deserves since they are only awarded in the following categories: physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, economic sciences.

Whistleblower Chuck Blazer, a former Fifa executive, said in explosive testimony that he and two others accepted six-figure bribes to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup, which the country did.

Putin previously insisted Russia won the 2019 World Cup host vote honestly.

He saud: "If anyone has evidence, let them present it.

"We won in a fair fight and we are going to host the World Cup.

"Any other decision we will consider unfair."

Swiss investigators raided Fifa's office in Zurich, Switzerland, in June, seizing IT equipment and data.

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