Suspended FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, has revealed that there was an agreement in place for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup before the voting process even took place.
Blatter told Russian news agency Tass of a “discussion” in 2010 about future World Cups.
He said a plan was in place for Russia to host in 2018 and the United States four years later, but a late swing in voting gave Qatar the 2022 tournament instead.
The 79-year-old is serving a 90-day ban handed to him by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, africanFootball.com reports.
The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments is the subject of an ongoing Swiss criminal investigation, taking place alongside a U.S investigation into corruption charges at the football world governing body.
Asked whether it was a mistake to hold voting for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments simultaneously, Blatter replied that before the ballot: “It was agreed inside the group that we go to Russia because it has never been to Eastern Europe, and for 2022 we go back to America.
“And so we would have the World Cup in the two biggest political powers.”