Sport Industry Group

SII 2007: Blatter does u-turn on England 2018 bid- 1 Mar 2007 00:00:00

FIFA president Sepp Blatter performed a staggering u-turn at the Sport Industry Interview 2007 when he told the watching hierarchy of the UK sport industry that the chances for England’s 2018 World Cup bid were very much alive despite seeming to play down the issue earlier in the day.

Having stated in a press conference earlier in the day that he supported FIFA’s current rotation policy for the World Cup, which would see either North America or Asia as the next continent in line for the 2018 tournament, Blatter explained to the invitees at the Sport Industry Interview that no decision had yet been taken on the matter.

‘We will have to wait and see at the FIFA executive committee in December as to how the rotation system for the World Cup will operate when it comes to the 2018 event. What I can say is that nothing is off the table and that includes England being the host nation.’

The FIFA president went on to praise the state of football in England commenting that the nation could easily host the tournament, even at short notice, given its strong infrastructure.

Blatter even joked with the 250 industry representatives present at the event that if they voted for him at the FIFA presidential elections later this year then he would deliver the World Cup to England.

When questioned by interviewer John Inverdale on the chances of South Africa remaining the host of the 2014 event, with some bookmakers offering even odds that the nation would not be ready in time, Blatter answered with a resounding statement that the country would 'definitely host the 2014 tournament'.

The Sport Industry Interview 2007, in association with Wiggin LLP, took place at the Bloomberg Studios in Central London.

In front of a select, invite-only audience of 250 leading practitioners from the UK sport industry including the likes of FA chief executive Brian Barwick and FA Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards, the FIFA president was interviewed on a variety of football topics.