Sepp Blatter Deserves Nobel Prize: Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Swiss TV that FIFA president Sepp Blatter deserves a Nobel prize. Two days after Putin and Blatter hosted the preliminary draw for Russia's 2018 World Cup, Putin said: "people like Blatter ... deserve special recognition."

Putin suggested that heads of international sports federation and Olympic bodies could receive world awards. "Let's have Nobel prizes for people like that."

On Saturday, Blatter told Putin that the Russian people "can be proud" of him and that FIFA says "yes to Russia, we are providing our support."

Swiss and US authorities are investigating possible corruption in the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 tournament, won by Qatar.

Blatter recently announced a reform taskforce to try to leave the troubled body in better shape when he finally stands down after a new leader of world football is elected in February.

As he sat down to begin a news conference at FIFA's Zurich headquarters, Blatter, head of the body since 1998, was showered with fake dollar bills by a suited prankster. Clearly shaken, Blatter left the room while staff cleared up the paper from the floor.

British media identified the protester, who was taken away by police, as comedian Lee Nelson, real name Simon Brodkin, who has been involved in similar pranks and posted a picture of the incident on the Twitter feed of one of his alter egos.

World soccer bosses will be hoping the organisation can draw a line under the past months with the election of a new leader.

Blatter said his decision to quit in June, despite having won a fifth-term four days earlier, was to help FIFA while it was under attack.

"There was pressure coming from different groups, attacking FIFA. I had to do something for FIFA, not for me. My mission now is to defend the institution (of) FIFA. I can defend myself. I don't need help. But FIFA (does)," Blatter said.

He described May's events as a "tsunami", saying: "I am still alive, the waves of the tsunami have not taken me away."

(With agency inputs)