Kommersant: "FIFA President in League with the Prime Minister"
Vladimir Putin competes for the 2018 World Cup.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin received FIFA President Joseph Blatter at the Government House yesterday to discuss Russia's prospects for hosting the 2018 World Cup match. Our special correspondent ANDREI KOLESNIKOV was present at the meeting and came away believing that Russia has a real chance of winning its bid for the championship.
Joseph Blatter flew into Moscow early yesterday and met with Vladimir Putin later in the day. Putin himself had just returned from Beijing early that morning. The meeting was put on the Prime Minister's schedule just two days prior, according to information obtained by Kommersant. The reason for the sudden scheduling change became clear later on.
"Does he speak German?" First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov asked the interpreter entering the cozy study where Vladimir Putin was to receive Mr Blatter.
Shuvalov apparently got that idea when he recognized the German interpreter rather than when he learned that the FIFA President was a Swiss citizen.
"My dear friend," Vladimir Putin addressed Joseph Blatter. "I am very glad to see you in Moscow. We in Moscow know your work very well. Football is becoming more and more popular here. I can't say that our team is doing everything it can, but our people love football (in spite of everything - A.K.)."
By now Vladimir Putin was probably having second thoughts about disparaging the performance of the team trying to get into the world championship final without playing in the selection tournament. Any careless words in the meeting with the Swiss gentleman could diminish Russia's hopes of hosting the championship.
Vladimir Putin knew that only too well, having carried the Olympic vote in Guatemala and, more importantly, having done all the heavy lifting during the preparation leading up to the vote, like the endless meetings with members of the International Olympic Committee and presidents of the international federations of all winter sports. Putin knows how important it is not to press too hard (which is exactly what the Americans did with all the hype and pressure it brought to bear on the IOC members to choose Chicago to host the Summer Olympics in 2016).
However, too little pressure could also prove fatal. It's hard to tow such a fine line. Often you can only feel which side of the line you are on after saying something that doesn't go over or, on the contrary, hitting the nail on the head.
"But on the whole we have a good team," the Prime Minister said, shifting gears. "It has a good potential... most importantly, we have a programme in place to develop football throughout 2015."
The Prime Minister employed the same tactics he used during his crusade to bring the winter Olympics to Sochi several years ago. At the time he stressed that all the facilities would be built anyway because a programme was already in place, so Russia would not be too disappointed if Sochi was not selected.
Joseph Blatter, an elderly but remarkably spry man, was fidgeting in his seat, as if he were sitting on the bench itching to get out onto the pitch, or in this case, itching to speak his mind. When he got the opportunity, the FIFA President first congratulated the Prime Minister on his recent birthday and said, "Mr President, we have known each other for years,".
The interpreter translated the words "Mr President" automatically.
I thought it was just a simple slip of the tongue. The people here seem to have gotten used to the idea that Putin is the Prime Minister and not the President anymore, but in the West that obvious fact has yet to sink in.
I thought that the interpreter might have at least hesitated before translating Mr Blatter's words literally. But then I thought that the interpreter probably would not have hesitated even if Mr Blatter had addressed the Russian Prime Minister as UN Secretary General as Mr Putin is also fluent in German.
Before long it became clear that if the interpreter had tried to correct Mr Blatter he would have found himself in an awkward situation.
"I call you ‘Mr President' intentionally," Mr Blatter continued. "I will always think of you as president. That's why I call you Mr President."
Perhaps he meant to say that in Russia, like in the US, there are no former presidents, just like there are no former Olympic champions.
"You say that they know me well in Russia," the FIFA President continued. "I would like to say that you are the talk of the football world. You care about football. Proof of this is that the President of the Russian Football Union Vitaly Mutko (who was present in the room - A.K.) is a member of the Russian government. You did not hesitate to appoint him."
What Mr Blatter did not know, of course, is that Mutko is in the government as a Minister of Sport. But it's just as well. Let him live under the mistaken impression that Mutko has been appointed to the cabinet solely because he is President of the Russian Football Union. Anything to help Russia's latest bid for world supremacy (this time in football).
The FIFA President consoled the Prime Minister by saying that even though the Russian team was not doing all it could, it was still on the right track, and although it failed to make it to the World Championship in South Africa in one go, it still had two play-off matches ahead.
"You'll make it," the FIFA President exclaimed before checking himself. "I hope you will make it...I have to be neutral."
One could see from the sympathetic and cheerful expression on the FIFA President's face that remaining neutral required great effort.
"Whatever you want to say about the Olympic Games," he continued, "the most important sporting event in the world today is the World Cup."
It was a good thing that the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, was not in the room at the moment because Mr Putin, a close friend, would have felt obliged to defend the Olympics. But as it was, Mr Putin chose not to quibble over trifles with Mr Blatter.
"Today I had a chance to see how your country is preparing for the 2018 World Cup," the FIFA President said. The Russian Prime Minister officially confirmed the bid a week ago. This means that Russia's preparations have been moving full steam ahead for a week now and there are already some tangible results that can be presented to the FIFA President, and with a straight face.
"My philosophy is that the championship should leave something behind for ordinary people," Mr Blatter continued. "That's why I have great sympathy for the Russian bid."
Only then did I realize that this was actually happening and that Russia could win the right to host the World Cup. If the President's words are to be trusted, Russia's chances of getting the 2018 championship are better than its chances of being awarded the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which were initially nill.
In any case, the FIFA President's mood was astonishing. He is the kind of person who watches his every word, knowing full well that the world is listening. But on this occasion, he couldn't help himself. The reason why the meeting with Mr Blatter was held at such short notice also started to become clear. Apparently the FIFA President had something to tell Mr Putin.
It was Mr Blatter rather than Mr Putin who had to keep himself in check.
"It is heartening that preparations are already under way all over Russia," the FIFA President said. (My God, I wonder how many glowing reports Russian sports officials had given him in the short time before the meeting. There aren't even the models of sport facilities, like the ones the organizing committee for Sochi 2014 has been touting to the world with remarkable success - A.K.). "I would like to say that not only all the facilities, but all the logistic support and all the railways - everything will be left to you after the championship, everything will go to benefit the people of Russia."
Perhaps I was missing something, but it now seemed like the FIFA President was trying to persuade the Prime Minister to host the World Cup in Russia.
"I have to admit," the FIFA President said, "that the world is in the midst of a crisis and things are not going smoothly. Good feelings are what football provides. And on that note I would like to congratulate you on the important treaty you signed with the PRC (on supplying Russian gas to China and gas prices - A.K.).
At least one independent observer is able to appreciate the importance of these recent accords, even if it was the President of FIFA.
"And I would also like to underline our shared outlook on life," Mr Blatter went on, gushing. "Like you, I have a strong bond with my mother... When you were asked whether you were a wealthy man, you replied yes, because you have a rich private and inner life." (In point of fact Vladimir Putin did not say that. What he had actually said was, "I am rich because the Russian people twice entrusted me with the honour of leading this great nation." - A.K.)
The FIFA President gave the Prime Minister an attentive and cheerful look.
"You could ask, like the journalists, what are Russia's chances in this race."
Putin nodded. He could.
"Well, although the bid was entered later than other bids, the documents I have seen are convincing, and I would say that if you continue working as you have been so far, your chances are good... Regardless of whether or not your team makes it to the World Cup finals I would like to invite you to the opening ceremony of the championship in South Africa on June 9, 2009."
Putin told Joseph Blatter that four cities in Russia - Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi - were essentially prepared to host the World Cup and that ten more stadiums in ten cities were to be built. He also emphasized that choosing Russia to host the championship would give a boost to football not only in Russia, but in Eastern Europe and in the entire post-Soviet space."
The Prime Minister did not hesitate to use the same tactics he used to win the 2014 Winter Olympics for Sochi. And indeed, why not?
"Absolutlich," Mr Blatter exclaimed.
"I see that we've got you thinking," the Prime Minister said and smiled encouragingly.
"My philosophy is to go where there haven't been championships before." Joseph Blatter was obviously flattered.
"I know which buttons to press," Vladimir Putin nodded.
He probably went too far there. The Prime Minister had let his guard down under the influence of the FIFA President's kind words. Now he checked himself.
"What do you mean?" Mr Blatter asked.
"I know what point to press when I'm working with you," the Prime Minister said. The Swiss did not reply. Vladimir Putin had indeed overstepped.
"In general, we are prepared to aggressively promote our bid," the Prime Minister concluded, and then saw it fit to walk his remarks back a tad. "Of course the final decision rests with your colleagues; but let's hope for the best."
Hopefully Putin hasn't pressed too hard. One thing is for sure: no one can accuse him of not trying hard enough.
Andrei Kolesnikov
