The official said that FIFA was contacted by ARD staff when the broadcast was prepared and responded in writing to a list of questions.
“Practically all of the answers were ignored. At the same time it was alleged that FIFA refused to comment. Worse still, facts were distorted or presented out of context,” De Gregorio said in a statement.
The FIFA official cited the passage on employment legislation in Russia as one of the most “glaring examples.”
According to the broadcast, FIFA urged to repeal its existing employment laws, and a passage from the Hosting Agreement was shown on screen as proof.
“The document was highlighted in two places, but the lines in between were omitted – lines that would have enabled viewers to understand the true content of the document,” the FIFA statement reads.
Russia will be hosting FIFA World Cup from June 12 to July 15, 2018. The event will be held on 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities.
On April 20, FIFA President Sepp Blatte said the preparation in Russia for the championship was progressing flawlessly.
