Blatter impressed by England World Cup bid

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Wednesday he had been “personally impressed” by England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup and said the country was ready to host the tournament immediately.

Blatter was speaking after meeting Prime Minister David Cameron in Downing Street, where he received a presentation on the English 2018 bid less than two months before the final December 2 vote in Zurich.

Blatter watched Cameron perform at Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament before officials outlined the English bid’s global legacy plans, which include matching FIFA’s 75 million pound annual investment in grassroots football.

“Now England can organise the World Cup tomorrow, England can organise the World Cup – that’s not a problem, but what you are doing is a World Cup for the world,” Blatter said after the meeting.

“The situation is such that your bid has impressed me personally. I will report to the executive committee when they meet at the end of October before the December 2 decision,” Blatter said.

The influential global football supremo also paid tribute to the progress England had made in building modern all-seater stadia and eradicating hooliganism from the domestic game.

Blatter urged other national associations to replicate the all-seater stadiums and lack of fences, saying the crowd problems which forced the abandonment of Tuesday’s Italy v Serbia international in Genoa were unlikely to have happened in England.

“England is the motherland of football. England has given so much to football, and England is going on to carry on giving much to football.

“Your predecessors were in a very difficult situation during the years from 1985 to 1989 and so on. I don’t want to speak about what happened then, but the reaction you have made.

“You have given to the world security in the stadiums. You have built all your stadia, there are no fences and everyone is sitting.

“If this had been the case we would not have had the problems we had in Genoa yesterday at the match.

“This is a big legacy, an important legacy you have given to the world.

“If only all the national associations in the world, and their leagues had stadiums like this, we would have more fair play in our game.

“You did it – it’s a question of organisation and it is also a question of discipline and respect. You did it here – and now we say where are the hooligans?

“They are not in the stadium and this is a compliment to your government and your predecessors,” Blatter said.

England 2018 chief executive Andy Anson said the visit had been “excellent” for the bid.

“One thing the president mentioned today was our long-established credibility in dealing with hooliganism and that’s fantastic to hear,” he said.

England’s rivals for the 2018 event include Russia, the United States and joint bids from Portugal and Spain, and Belgium and the Netherlands.