England to drop Russia World Cup bid complaint

England have decided to drop their complaint to FIFA against the head of rival World Cup 2018 bid hopefuls Russia, a spokesperson announced on Thursday.

The English bid team had submitted a formal complaint to the world football governing body after Russia 2018 chief executive Alexei Sorokin highlighted London’s “high crime rate” and problems with youth alcohol.

Sorokin’s remarks contravened FIFA’s rules about the behaviour of bid teams and tensions were stoked further on Thursday when Russian Football Union (RFU) honorary president Viacheslav Koloskov called the England bid team “absolutely primitive” and “comical”.

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko apologised, however, prompting the England 2018 camp to withdraw their complaint.

“Mr Mutko approached England 2018 chairman Geoff Thompson with a genuine apology in an honourable manner,” said a spokesperson for the England bid.

“We, of course, accepted this apology and appreciate the gesture. We now wish to move on from this matter.”

Earlier on Thursday, the chief of the joint Spanish-Portugal bid to stage the 2018 World Cup denied allegations of collusion with 2022 candidate Qatar in the bidding process.

British newspaper The Sunday Times ran a report and video on Sunday by undercover journalists posing as lobbyists, which included reported remarks by ex-FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen about Spain-Portugal and Qatar’s bids to host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

FIFA on Monday said it had asked the newspaper to provide more evidence for a probe into the scandal.

“Last week, the FIFA’s ethics committee sent us a letter to inform us that it had decided to open an investigation as the Iberian candidature was suspected of having reached a deal with Qatar,” the head of the Spain-Portugal bid, Miguel Angel Lopez, told AFP.

“We are clean,” he said. “There is no deal with any candidate at all.”

The affair is part of a wider scandal involving alleged corruption in the World Cup bidding process.

FIFA has already provisionally suspended two senior officials and launched its own investigation over alleged World Cup vote-selling.

FIFA’s executive committee is to choose the winning host countries for 2018 and 2022, with an announcement due on December 2 in Zurich.

England, Russia and joint bids by Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium are in the running to host the 2018 World Cup.

For 2022, the contenders are Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and the United States.