FIFA: "Sepp Blatter is the one who must be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize" (Vladimir Putin)

"Joseph Blatter is a very respected person, he has done a lot for the development of world football. He has always tried to treat football not as a sport but as an element of cooperation between countries and peoples. He is the one who must be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," said Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russia, at his annual press conference, in front of nearly 1,400 Russian and foreign journalists in Moscow (RUS) on 17/12/2015.

Vladimir Putin's speech comes on the same day that Joseph Blatter is set to appear before the adjudicatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee in Zurich (SUI). The FIFA president was suspended for a period of 90 days of any activity in football by the same adjudicatory body on 08/10/2015. The Ethics Comittee said, on 23/11/2015, that it would endeavour to announce their final decision on the case in December 2015.

"We know firmly one thing -- that we received the right to host the World Cup in an absolutely honest and competitive fight," said Vladimir Putin in response to suspicions of corruption in the process of awarding the 2018 World Cup…