BELGRADE (Sputnik) – Kupriyanov told journalists in Serbia's Belgrade that the scandal did not influence FIFA's sponsorship agreement with Gazprom as the deal had been signed in September 2013.
On Wednesday, several FIFA officials were arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on a US warrant for federal corruption charges. Switzerland launched a separate investigation into alleged wrongdoings linked to the selection of countries to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022, Russia and Qatar respectively.
US fast food giant McDonalds stated that the news was very concerning, adding that it was in direct contact with FIFA to monitor the situation. McDonalds declined to say if they would continue to sponsor FIFA in the wake of the charges.
US financial services corporation Visa also expressed its disappointment and concern, urging FIFA to take immediate action to address the issues. The company threatened to reassess its sponsorship if the federation fails to make changes.
The current FIFA corruption scandal poses no threat of Russia losing the right to host the 2018 world championship, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said Thursday.
There is no alternative to FIFA incumbent President Joseph Blatter in the upcoming presidential election, Mutko said, adding that Blatter is supported by Asian and African football confederations.
