The president of Russia says heads of sporting organizations deserve greater recognition and has criticized the timing of the DOJ's corruption investigation
FIFA chief Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel prize for his work, according to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The head of football's governing body met with Putin on Saturday in St. Petersburg to declare the organization's support for Russia's World Cup in 2018, the qualifying draw for which took place on the same day.
And Putin - who has been outspoken in his condemnation of the corruption investigations targeting FIFA - has launched a staunch defense of Blatter and the heads of similar sporting groups across the globe.