The Berlin-based anti-corruption group Transparency International has condemned FIFA's decision to give the right to host the 2018 World Cup to Russia, the German DPA news agency said on Tuesday.
"[Russia] is the most corrupt country in Europe," Transparency International sports commissioner Sylvia Schenk said.
In its 2010 Corruption Perception Index, Russia is rated as among the worst for corruption, in 154th place out of 178, coming below countries like Kenya, Laos and Papua New Guinea.
Schenk said FIFA chose Russia ahead of co-bidders England as an "act of revenge" over investigations in the British media into alleged FIFA corruption.
In late November, Transparency International urged FIFA to postpone the December 2 vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts after a Sunday Times investigation led to two executive committee members being suspended and a BBC Panorama documentary subsequently implicated four more.
MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti) -
