Putin slams anti-FIFA ´smears´ on eve of World Cup vote

Last-ditch lobbying for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups cranked into overdrive Wednesday as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin launched a scathing attack on England’s bid on the eve of the vote.

The five countries battling for the 2022 football extravaganza — Australia, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Qatar — showcased their bids one last time to voters at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

Meanwhile, high-powered delegations from the countries slugging it out for the 2018 tournament were engaging in frenzied lobbying with the climax to the scandal-tainted looming less than 24 hours away.

But in a dramatic development, Russian leader Putin appeared to accuse England of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against FIFA voters which were part of a concerted effort to tilt the playing field.

“I would like to note that recently we have watched with disappointment as an obvious campaign was being unleashed against members of the FIFA executive committee,” Putin said as he announced he would not travel to Zurich.

“They are being smeared in dirt and compromised. … I interpret this as (a method of) unfair competition.

“We believe that such methods of competition are entirely unacceptable,” he added, without specifically naming any of Russia’s rivals.

Putin’s comments were a clear reference to recent British media reports which have accused several members of the 22-strong FIFA executive committee of corruption in the weeks leading up to the vote.

English bid officials have repeatedly sought to distance themselves from the reports, and attacked the BBC as “unpatriotic” for its decision to broadcast a critical documentary earlier this week.

Russia has emerged as the bookmakers favourite for 2018, edging ahead of England and a joint bid from Spain and Portugal. A Dutch-Belgian bid is regarded as the long-odds outsider.

England meanwhile were pulling out all the stops with Prime Minister David Cameron, heir to the throne Prince William and football icon David Beckham networking relentlessly with FIFA delegates.

Cameron met FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Tuesday before holding talks late into the night with five other members of the FIFA executive committee.

The British leader later flew back to London from Zurich to participate in Prime Minister’s questions in parliament but was due to jet back to Switzerland later Wednesday to resume campaigning.

“I know that many people will ask, well, are you spending too much time on something that might not succeed? And I would say if you don’t get onto the pitch you’ve got no chance of winning,” Cameron told lawmakers in London.

Beckham meanwhile told a press conference that he had faith in FIFA voters to judge each bid on its merits.

“I think we can trust every one of the members,” he said. “At the end of the day they’re football people. They’re going to want a World Cup in the best country that they think could host the biggest sporting event in the world.

FIFA’s executive committee will cast votes in a series of ballots starting at 2:00 pm local time Thursday (1300 GMT) until one bid has received an absolute majority.

Blatter has admitted that the decision to stage the votes for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments at the same time was a mistake, raising the probability of collusion between bidders.

As the 2018 battle heated, up, the 2022 bidders were laying out their presentations at FIFA headquarters.

Australia kicked off the final pitches by offering to “turbocharge” football in Asia and the Pacific region — with the help of a cheeky kangaroo.

“What we would like to do is invite you to bring the World Cup to the world’s greatest playground,” Australian Hollywood star Hugh Jackman told delegates in an on-screen appearance.

The highlight of the Australian presentation was a short film starring an animated kangaroo that pinches the World Cup trophy and carries it in her pouch across Australia pursued by “Crocodile Dundee” star Paul Hogan on a motorbike.

South Korean officials meanwhile struck a more serious tone in their presentation, arguing that a World Cup could help bring peace to the divided peninsula.

“A World Cup will serve as a gateway for a united Korea and a peaceful Asia,” said former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hong-Koo.

Qatar, Japan and the United States were making their presentations later Wednesday.