England, Russia embroiled in 2018 World Cup bid spat
Published:Thursday | October 28, 2010 | 12:31 PM
The war of words over the right to host the 2018 World Cup has intensified after a senior Russian official called England ‘absolutely primitive’.
Viacheslav Koloskov, a former FIFA and UEFA executive committee member, made the comment after England complained that Russia broke bidding rules.
England's official complaint followed widely reported quotes from Russia's bid leader Alexey Sorokin about London.
FIFA's committee meets today to receive reports on the 2018 bids.
However, the spat between England and Russia is also likely to be on the agenda, along with the possibility of postponing the vote for the 2022 World Cup until after December 2, when the 2018 winner is announced after recent allegations of corruption.
The FIFA ethics panel is currently investigating two voters, four former executive members and two bidders for alleged corruption in the 2018 and 2022 contests.
The meeting in Zurich will last for two days, with FIFA set to hold a news conference tomorrow to announce the committee's decisions.
England and Russia are the two favourites to land the 2018 World Cup, but they have become embroiled in an unseemly row after Sorokin was quoted as criticising high crime rates and the drinking habits of young people in England's capital.