French PM revels in England´s World Cup failure

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Thursday that he was “delighted” by Russia’s victory against England in the battle to host the 2018 football World Cup.

“We’re delighted that the Russians won the 2018 football World Cup against our British friends,” Fillon said, in a speech to staff from the French embassy in Moscow at the end of a two-day visit to the Russian capital.

“We wouldn’t be annoyed if Moscow acquired a little more significance and Russian businesses used it, rather than going to London at every opportunity,” he added, in an apparently light-hearted reference to London’s City financial district.

“But it’s a prime minister married to a British citizen — we don’t say citizen, but subject of Her Majesty (the Queen) — who allows himself to say that,” explained Fillon, who is married to a Welsh woman.

Russia was chosen by world football’s governing body FIFA on December 2 to host the 2018 World Cup.

Aside from England, joint bids from Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium were the other beaten candidates.