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Sepp Blatter: How Platini’s betrayal over pre-arranged plan to dish out World Cups led to Fifa crisis

'2018 and 2022 World Cups were pre-ordained for Russia and the US before Sarkozy told Uefa leader to back Qatar'

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Sepp Blatter and pal Vladimir Putin. Photo: Reuters

Sepp Blatter appeared to suggest the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were pre-ordained for Russia and the US before Michel Platini betrayed him in favour of Qatar.

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In an interview with Russian news agency TASS in which he took aim at Platini for playing a part in what he called attacks on him, the Fifa president portrayed the double World Cup vote, held in 2010, as the catalyst for crisis at global soccer’s governing body.

"We had a discussion of the World Cup and then we went to a double decision," Blatter said.

 If the USA was given the World Cup, we would only speak about the wonderful World Cup 2018 in Russia and ... not about any problems
Sepp Blatter

"For the World Cups it was agreed that we go to Russia ... and for 2022 we go back to America. And so we will have the World Cup in the two biggest political powers."

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