Blatter On First Foreign Trip Since FIFA Arrests

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will leave Switzerland for the first time since the FBI charged some of his closest associates with corruption, when he travels to Russia for the 2018 World Cup preliminary draw.

Mr Blatter will arrive in St Petersburg on Thursday and is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the draw ceremony on Saturday.

It is the first time Mr Blatter has travelled since extradition proceedings were opened by the US against seven football officials arrested in Zurich in May.

Mr Blatter missed the final of the Women's World Cup in Canada in July, the first time he has not presented the trophy since he became president in 1998.

There have been suggestions he is avoiding travel because of the risk of arrest in territories sympathetic to the US, and told one interviewer he would avoid "travel risks" for the foreseeable future.

There is little chance of him being arrested in Russia with Mr Putin his greatest and perhaps last, political supporter.

The pair will meet ahead of the draw, and will make the opening speeches at the ceremony at the Konstantinovsky Palace on the outskirts of the city.

Speaking after the FBI raids, Mr Putin described the action as a "blatant attempt" by America to interfere in "other jurisdictions".

This was a reference to concern that Russia's hosting of the tournament could be affected by allegations of corruption in the FIFA vote that awarded them the tournament.

Swiss authorities are carrying out a separate investigation into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, with Russia insisting that they did nothing wrong.

Among the draw assistants will be Brazilian striker Hulk, who plays for Zenit St Petersburg and on Monday said he faces racism "almost every week" in the Russian league.

Last Friday former Arsenal player Emmanuel Frimpong said he was subject to monkey chants while playing for Ufa at Spartak Moscow, a reminder of the challenge that the issue poses to the authorities.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said steps have been taken to tackle racism ahead of the World Cup.

She said: "On the one hand he [Hulk] was particularly chosen because he is playing here in Russia, he is a football icon.

"But naturally the topic of anti-discrimination is a very important topic for FIFA and you know that in May we launched a monitoring system for the 2018 FIFA World Cup."