Image: fifa.com
With yet another sports competition just moved out of Russia (2017 Biathlon World Cup & World Championships) and attention to former sports minister Vitaly Mutko’s role in the doping scandal intensifying, many in Moscow now fear that Russia could be stripped of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
That would be a both a major personal and public relations disaster for Vladimir Putin who has long insisted that hosting the World Cup was just as important an indication that Russia under his leadership was again “standing on its feet” as was the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, now so tarnished by the Russian government’s doping program.
As a result, some in Moscow are considering how best to play defense, including radical steps like firing Mutko, in an effort to save the situation [Note that in October 2016, already after the the doping scheme got publicly exposed, Putin promoted Mutko from his position as Russia’s sports minister to a deputy prime minister – Ed.]. And it is likely although certainly not the subject of public discussion that the Kremlin will try to save its right to host the competition by trying to corrupt any decision-making process about it.
On the Versiya portal, Irina Gritsinskaya says that FIFA has begun an investigation into the role of Mutko in the doping scandal and that if it determines that he was involved, he will be banned from football in the future and the 2018 FIFA World Cup may be shifted from Russia.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had pointed to Mutko in its report of some six months ago, the sports commentator says. It appears to be coming up again because of the spate of decisions by various sports groups to shift international athletic competitions out of Russia to other countries.
Vladimir Putin congratulating Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko (believed to be the top administrator of the state-organized doping system) with his birthday at a joint meeting of the Council for Physical Education and Sports under the President of Russia and the Organizing Committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The book Putin holds in his hand is an English language self-study textbook being presented to Mutko as a prank gift. December 2015, Moscow, Russia (Image: Mikhail Metzel/TASS)
And now it is football’s turn, she says. At the end of December, FIFA dropped Russia from 55th to 56th in its world rankings even though the Russian team had not taken part in any matches earlier in the month, an indication, she suggests, that the football world is now taking a closer look at all things connected to Russia.
Indeed, when the FIFA report was released, Grinitskaya says, “it became known that among those suspected of using drugs were [11 current Russian] football players,” in addition to four who had been identified as doing so earlier. That creates a new situation with which Moscow must cope.
According to Grinitskaya, the smallest loss Russia is likely to have to absorb is the retirement of Mutko from the federal government. More serious — but still not fatal — would be a ban on the 11 new players who reportedly have taken performance-enhancing drugs. But the most serious would be for FIFA to decide to strip Russia of the right to host the competition in 2018.
Vladimir Putin has pledged Moscow’s full cooperation with the investigation, although he has continued to insist, as have all other Russian officials, that there never has been and is not now a state-organized program of doping and its cover up, despite what FIFA’s earlier investigation showed.
The question in Moscow now is whether Russia will be allowed to host the 2018 competition or not, Grinitskaya says. Some experts, like the observer for the Russian sports paper Chempionat, say that FIFA will try to avoid taking the games away from Russia because of the complications that would create so close to their scheduled opening date.
But he and others acknowledge that pressure from various countries and athletic federations may increase to the point that FIFA will have no choice, whatever its preferences are.
Grinitskaya quotes an Italian sports writer from Il Giornale about what the latter says are US attempts to take the World Cup away from Russia. But he adds, in what may be Moscow’s last hope to save the situation, “I do not think that Mr. Trump will have the audacity to do so.”
Related:
- Hybrid Olympics, hybrid war with Ukraine, hybrid Russia
- Putin regime was a criminal one long before Crimea, the doping scandal shows
- Putin wants to do more than to install Trump as US president: he wants to destroy the West
- Russian football louts in Marseilles part of Putin’s ‘hybrid war’ against the West
- If Russia isn’t stripped of 2018 World Cup, Putin will tighten the screws on Russians as he did before Sochi
Edited by: A. N.
Tags: 2018 FIFA World Cup, FIFA, international, Putin, Putin's regime, Russia, Russian athlete doping scandal, soccer
take the World Cup from Russia and give it to Ukraine
Why? Ukraine’s football team is utter sнит. And besides there is a civil war there
you mean that invasion in crimea and the donbass by russia. COME ON MAN!!! that story is old and tired and nobody believes it. at least come up with new material.
Yes, there is
no there is not!
Yes, there is a Russian invasion. Glad you agree.
Civil war.
No wonder eastern Ukrainians want to leave.
You talk a good game about caring for your people.
But Crimea got shit from Ukraine.
You just want the territory.
Russian invasion. Putin has already admitted it.
He’s a Putinbot. They only repeat what RT shills out. Once the deeper sanctions take hold, dishwashers like “Rafael” will be back in the kitchen.
….. where he will be brewing Krokodil to make a few rubbles.
What do you have against dishwashers?
Ha you talk like your some doctor. Wishful thinking.
Nah mate.
Its a civil war.
Every one here knows that.
You’re the only one here that “knows” it. The rest of the world knows it was an invasion. Putin admitted it.
Yeah not what im hearing in this country. Lol
You’re on your own buddy.
It was an invasion. The only “here” you’ll hear that nonsense is either in the areas Russia invaded, or Russia itself.
I’m never “on my own.”
Ukraine is ranked 30th…Russia is 56th. Thanks for once again proving your incompetence at debating “Ralphie, the fake Norwegian troll”….
http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/
The only place there is a civil war is in that universe you created in that infinite space between your ears.
Wet dreams of Ukrainian nationalists.
maybe it is but people are saying that there are alot of nationalist russian gangs running around russia attacking non-russians in the streets. That is a fact jack. By the way these nationalists gangs are fascist and nazis drunk on the vodka and deliriously in love with putin.
Russia is filthy with Skin Heads, something that is quite uncommon in Ukraine. Ukrainians are civilized. Russians only minimally so.
Yeah we are all seeing how civilized you are on here.
I don’t think there’s a race you haven’t insulted yet.
Yeah mate. We believe you. Sure. Except I’ve never heard that anywhere except for here. Heaps of nazis sympathizers in Ukraine though.
and the “wet dreams” of Russo Nazzi’s are that Rossiya is still a “World Power”…nyet!!!! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9f8fa85c102bc734ef72d30c702cbd60b6fd0f407286135e0cbf55655b1e4195.jpg
Public toilette in Ukraine. And happy now?
>take the World Cup from Russia and give it to Ukraine<
Would be nice under different circumstances but not realistically possible at the time for many reasons. London, however, with its superb facilities and already developed hosing infrastructure can host the World Cup on a very short notice.
yeah London would be funtastic
Oh what a surprise. London? Really? Why not Korea, Argentina, Italy?
No it lts just a coinkidinky someone from this cia faux news site mentions London.
Ukraine couldn’t even host 2 matches. Failed state that it is.
And how do you know the process was corrupt? Oh right, you were there at the vote.lol
Got anything better to do than going back to old columns and trolling for Putin?
No not really.
I got hooked after a couple of the outrageous bs articles.
Now im just trying to see which one tops the bs barometer. Lol
I do have to say this site has outdone itself on the racist Russia hate.
Im going to show it to everyone who wants to understand what’s going on in Ukraine.
You guys speak volumes about your cause. Lol
So do you RTroll.
Yeah of course dude.
Except i wouldn’t call it trolling.
Pointing out to Ukrainian or Russian bigoted racists. That their racist bigoted remarks are off tap.
Is hardly trolling.
Lying, as you are, is trolling. It’s also spam. As I have pointed out many times, You are a troll because you act like one. Eventually, as happened with the rest, you will be banned because of your trolling.
All you’re posting is lies.
If you say so.
You’re entitled to your opinion.
Even if its based on bigotry
“Bigotry.” The word does not mean what you think it means.
No of course not. Like i don’t know what it mean, despite a degree in an English country.
You know better right?
Who knows maybe you do. You practice it a lot.
Your first sentence gives you away again. What “English” country might that be?
Yes I’ve seen a lot of Racism. You simply are too ignorant to know what it is. You enough about the slur to try to use on someone that couldn’t care less about your stupidity, and that’s the extent of your knowledge.
Yep, if you say so?
Britain. By the way.
The last paragraph made no sense dude. Go re-read.
I get it, to racists everyone stupid or “intellectually inferior”. It’s a normal thought pattern with you guys.
Still i think normal Ukrainians are not this extraordinary level of smart you claim to be.
You got hooked because you’re sperging is what drives your life. trolls are about the BS we see on this site, and we get plenty when morons like yourself get tired and bored over at Sputnik, RT or Russia Insider.
If anyone wishes to understand what is going on inside of Ukraine, all they have to do is invert what Putin and his minions are saying.
Whatever man.
All I’ve heard from you guys is racist bs.
Every one can see that as well.
I can’t take what a racist say at face value , sorry.
You can try to justify it as much as you like. You can’t defend the indefensible.
Racist now? You really are reaching. You have been trying to defend the indefensible with every trollish post you make. You are indefensible.
What am i reaching at?
Go have a look at the racist post from your friends at the top.
Do you even know what racism means?
It’s self evident that you haven’t the slightest idea what “racism” means.
Nah not at all.
It’s not like i didnt mention being the victim of racism as a kid.
Seriously. It only goes the way it can.
So far ive been called racist things by quite a few of the people on here. From there it graduates to denial. Then you try to justify it. Eh hello? Really?
Like your hatred somehow supercedes normal human values and logic. Because it’s a special racial hate against the untermenschen.
Then it goes to deflection in social terms. Like my calling people out is now some puffed up leftist agenda.
And when that fails. Now you’re telling me you have a better grasp of what racism means.
Pathetic
And you give yourself away again. Lying is no credit to you. You haven’t had anything to call people out about. perhaps something from your fertile imagination, but that’s as far as it goes. using the slur against someone is simply lying, but you aren’t good at it.
The bar is pretty low when it comes to having a better grasp of what racism is if you are the standard. And, no, you have little understanding of what the term means.
Yeah process was corrupt because you were there. Right? Lol
I don’t have to be at the bazaar where you bought 2 apples from one vendor and 2 from another to know that you bought 4.
Hahaha
So that’s that magical corruption barometer. Lol
Forget the facts cause i know how it went.
Yeah about as logical as licking you finger and sticking it into the air.
You’ve voiced the ludicrous notion that one must be present at an event to know what has transpired. If it were the case, only the people who’ve watched a match would know the result. Maybe you’ve heard of such things as “logic” and “inescapable conclusion”. Or maybe not. At any rate, without them, no scientific achievement or court sentence would be possible.
Oh come on. What shite.
Yeah, you’re going to know what kind of forhand djokovic pulled in the second point of the third set. By not being there?
You might know the score from secondhand info. But not what made the game tick.
These are closed door negotiations. I have no clue as to what went on there. How would you. No amount of logic will help you there.
I don’t even know what inescapable conclusion means?
I think your looking for occams razor. But it barely applies.
>I don’t even know what inescapable conclusion means?<
I don't know if you do or you don't – that's what I said. You decide if you think that A=C is the inescapable conclusion from A=B and B=C. What I'm saying is that you don't have to observe an outcome to know that no other outcome is possible if formal logic dictates that, given other observed facts, this is the only possible outcome.
This is why?
I get it. You’re one of those philosopher stones dudes.
Yeah you could apply your method sure. But only to the fact that someone will win and someone else loses. You could imply other operational systems sure. But i don’t think you know what South Africa offered, and what machinations it employed to win the hosting rights.
Hence you wouldn’t know what future bidders would do.
Logic is all good and well. But it can’t be applied to everything in this world.
Ps. Philosophy lost me when they started babbling about how time functions. Is it branches or is it a stream or whatnot. For that there’s comic books.
>Logic is all good and well. But it can’t be applied to everything in this world.<
Yes, it can. That is what distinguishes the human beings from the animals.
The petition has already begun. A third-world kleptocracy like ruSSia isn’t qualified to host such an event, especially when it was gained by a payoff to Sepp Blatter.
https://www.change.org/p/bureau-of-the-fifa-council-relocation-of-the-2018-world-cup-to-poland-and-ukraine?utm_medium=email&utm_source=fundraiser&utm_campaign=petition_eligible
1700, lol. Many of them being fake accounts created by you
LOL. This from a mongol named “Rafael.” The days are numbered for your gay dwarf, coward https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd132b2e9b04f28fa8db9ce37fd6378c05e2a7aef2496d0eb9248e2790fd88cb.jpg .
Better than to be a secret islamic appeaser such as Barack HUSSEIN Obomber
LOL. Who do you think supplies and arms Islamic terrorists? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3e4ea35d47506a28ce53c1f1adb11b7a6e0180c7232d24bbd5c9701c181802e5.jpg
they make such a nice couple-who is the wife?
Depends which demented dwarf passes out sooner…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a35827a43bea1d7e5a68cdeb1bef5012e1ca4231767f0bbc88d5a9b75a657cf3.jpg
Alina is said to be the dwarf’s second and current wife.
Well judging by that a small Albanian village in Kosovo. Next to Base Bondstil has the most Isil emigrees in the world. It would have to be the US.
“Better than to be a secret islamic appeaser such as your Barack HUSSEIN Obomber”
Oh, you mean like someone who sold uranium to the apocalyptic, theocratic nutjobs that are the greatest state sponsor of terror in the world, as well as giving them the AA to defend their facilities? All so that when they try to get nuclear weapons to start an atomic war, they can do it with less threat of retaliation?
Someone who lets Kadyrov pursue Islamism-lite and employs Chechen and Dagestani mercs?
For Christ’s Sake. I utterly despise Obama and his appeasement, but he has NOTHING- NOTHING- on Putin in that regards.
Ralphie, who are you mindless sheeple trolls going to blame next week when Obama is no longer U.S. President?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3af16c4bc9aaaa496d2ea77bb630e7a8756a0463c80b85e18e551eca437ad7dd.jpg
I think you owe anatomical dummies an apology for comparing them to these goons. Because Putin’s troll army is guilty of a far worse sin: having a mind but misusing it.
As for what they’ll do after next week?
Probably shift the vilification onto Trump. Like they did from Bush onto Obama, and so forth. After all, somebody’s got to be to blame for Mother Rossiya’s problems and hostility with the world and it can’t be the Polonium Psycho!
The Savushkina trolls have a limited mind, due to being lobotomised and neutered- both are job requirements. They can hardly misuse what isn’t there, can they? They merely type what their troll supervisors tell them to, nothing more.
Shhhh don’t tell your neonazi friends.
But you’re all from Africa. Lol
Lol
So it’s not just Russians,Jews Germans etc now you hate gays too.
Quite the list you have there
can you prove this allegation?
Coming from a fake Norwegian WITH A WALNUT SIZED BRAIN, that’s kind of ironic for you to claim…. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0080d6decfd25f3adaf231014c9113bc63d3d96f4af4179f4aae20bb140743f.jpg
Yeah well, empirical evidence proves otherwise. They can hold big events.
This article is what is called faux news. Not one Russian football player was ever caught doping.
It’s convenient though to attack a country in this way. Just like with the hooligans. Shame Britain didn’t focus on their own in France.
But what is disturbing is that the western elites have no problems dragging sports into it’s political stoush, and neither do you guys here. Who cares what might happen and how many kids it hurts.
Same with eurovision. That entry was clearly political. Yet Ukraine had no problems putting it forward.
Nice try pretending to care for crimeans. But they’re not buying.
Maybe should have treated them better before they chose to become Russian.
One of Putin’s trolls talks about fake news. How droll. Your posts are fake posts.
Sure mate im one of Putins trolls because you say so. Lol
What’s fake about my posts. They’re there for you to read aren’t they? Lol
The rest is just my opinion.
Lol
Not because I say so, but because of how you act.
If you say so dude.
Why do you care about what goes on in Russia?
Au contraire, keep the Championship in Dwarfstan! Let Pedo Putolini waste his worthless rubbles on the event by all means. Every rubble spent on the Championship is a rubble less for the dwarf’s war chest.
This is a prestige event for the dwarf, but Dwarfstan’s national team, doped to the eyeballs or not, doesn’t have a hope of winning the title. It will probably be knicked out in the first round, as it was in the European Championship. Let the team lose face in front of a home crowd. Let Dwarfstan’s hooligans assault spectators in full view of the world’s sporting press, live on TV worldwide. Let Dwarfstan lose face in all ways possible. Let the world see what Dwarfstan is really like.
And once the Dwarfstanian team is kicked out, the locals will lose interest and not attend the matches, leading to financial losses- which will be huge anyway thanks to the inflated cost of organising the event. The expense may well “dwarf” the 50 billion of Sochi.
good point
There’s also the question of whether the locals will be able to afford tickets in the first place given the shape Dwarfstan’s economy is in.
Oooooh an Ukrainian wet dream. Lol
You have a lot of those.
Obviously not nearly as much as the authors here.
That’s all you ever have.
Hahaha
You argue like a child lol
You certainly do. But, you are a child mentally.
Yeah. I agree should be done.
IN 2018 MAIDAN MOSCOW IS IN FULL SWING…
2018? Hell, this spring. The gay dwarf is done.
Why are you calling for a coup in another country. Overthrowing a legitimately elected leader? Eh? Who cares that the people voted for him.
Showing your spots much?
Putin may have been “elected.” OTOH, the rest of the world knows that Russian “elections” are among the most corrupt in the world.
You guys do know that Ukraine doesn’t share the same philosophy as the rest of the world.
You’ll be able to go on holiday in Europe soon. Go inform yourselves. Most people in the world don’t care about going to war with Russia over Ukraine.
Why would they.
No pone in their right mind wants to go to war. That’s what Putin’s criminality so odious. Ukrainians have been able to to Europe whenever they liked. If you knew any geography you would know that Ukraine is entirely within Europe.
Looks more like you need to inform yourself. Your views are both ignorant and pathetically provincial. Typical leftist idiot, you are.
I need to inform myself?
When were you able to travel freely?
When you were a part of the USSR?
Travelling within Ukraine is not traveling to Europe.
Why are they only now lifting restrictions?
Yes, you are an ignoramus trolling because your low intellect needs the entertainment.
I was not allowed to go to the East Block because of what I did in the Military.
Ukraine is entirely in Europe. You miserably failed Geography.
More superior intellectual stuff from Mr. Im with superior intellectual master race. Lol
Or was it Mr. My complex hurts it’s so big?
I never said Ukraine wasn’t part of Europe.
Im just saying that without permit you’re not allowed to go to Spain.
I don’t even know what the military and the east block have to do with anything?
Name drop possibly?
Ooooh
You said “provincial”.
Does that mean I’m not part of your “racist intellectually superior master race”? Lol
I’m not claiming any sort of superiority. You are dong that nicely and it is certainly heart warming that you think that.
You need to look up the word. I’ve obviously used a word that’s too big for you to understand. That’s the second one after “Racism.”
Go back and review what you have written. The only one going on about how smart they are is you.
Yet you have the debating skills of a 7year old.
“No you said that….” “no,no you said that”…
“That’s what you are. …”
Lol
What? Military teach you that?
Lol
Here is the petition for relocation of the 2018 World Cup from fascist ruSSia. https://www.change.org/p/bureau-of-the-fifa-council-relocation-of-the-2018-world-cup-to-poland-and-ukraine?utm_medium=email&utm_source=fundraiser&utm_campaign=petition_eligible
Since FIFA likes dealing with crooks I say let Mexico host the World Cup in Sinaloa province, El Chapo Guzman can build the main stadium from his billions of narco profits.
isn’t guzman in jail?
His money isn’t.
so how will he sign the cheques?
Electronic banking of course!
A cell phone call to his accountant.
These guys can just make a cell phone call to their private bankers.
On top of all that, people are quick to forget the violence ruSSki hooligan apes caused at Euro in France…I know that is just “peanuts” in comparison but still.
How come one of the most corrupt organizations like FIFA survived its Blatter scandal unharmed anyway?
No were not.
But i remember the British started it.