Redknapp doubts Fifa decision was fair

(GSM) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has hit out at Fifa for handing Russia the chance to host the 2018 World Cup ahead of England.

England had been hopeful of winning the vote but Russia were ultimately given the nod ahead of Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium as well as England.

And the Tottenham boss doubts the voting process, pointing to Russian team’s ‘confidence’ before the announcement was made.

“It was as if they knew,” said Redknapp.

“We send our Prime Minister over and everybody else goes over.

“The Russians, their Prime Minister (Vladimir Putin) doesn’t go. It’s as if he knows he’s going to win.

“You read we were having meetings until five o’clock in the morning; we’re talking to the right people.

“But, obviously, they’d made their mind up. No talking in the world was going to make a difference.”

Redknapp believes his country should have won the vote, adding: “Listen, we all know what’s probably gone on. We can’t probably say, can we really?

“It was amazing that suddenly two such wealthy countries have ended up with the World Cupthere.

“Don’t tell me that we haven’t got a better product to offer than Russia in terms of football in this country.”

England’s bid team, which included Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince William and David Beckham, strongly campaigned for their bid ahead of the voting.

Redknapp said: “It’s like going on X Factor,coming on, doing what you do. You’re either good or you’re not good.

“It’s not a case then you go back, meet up with the judges for a couple of days and have a chat and say, ‘You should be voting for me really. I’m a sexy bird, I’ll get my gear off for you’.

“What’s it all about? You’ve either got it or you haven’t got it and I thought we had it. We had the product.”

There have been suggestions England were victims of a Fifa backlash against the British media, after the country’s allegations of corruption at the organisation ahead of the vote.

Redknapp said: “I didn’t see the programme the other night, the Panorama programme.

“I was too busy watching probably the best footballing performance I’ve ever seen in my life from Barcelona.

“But I think it goes deeper than that. There’s got to be more reasons behind it all than just that programme.

“Who are these people who make these decisions? Who are they? What are their motives? I don’t know.”

Redknapp, 63, remembers the 1966 World Cup and fears that his country may not have the chance to host the World Cup again during his lifetime.

“Everything was right for us to hold the World Cup this time,” he said.

“Since ’66, that’s an awful long time for a country, really, that has the best league, probably, in the world and has got the greatest tradition of football in the world.

“And now it’s going to be another God knows how many years. Will we ever get it again? I wouldn’t know.”