Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been backed by Vladimir Putin as the Swiss faces ethics hearing in Zurich.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has reiterated his belief that suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter deserves to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Blatter was handed a 90-day ban by FIFA's Ethics Committee in October in relation to an alleged payment made by the organisation to former France captain Michel Platini in 2011.
The Swiss denied any wrongdoing ahead of a hearing headed by ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert getting underway in Zurich on Thursday.
Blatter certainly has a strong ally in Putin, who has praised the 79-year-old for the work carried out during his time at the helm of world football's governing body.