Russian officials have expressed little worry about the recent arrests of FIFA senior officials on charges of corruption, even though the investigation is also looking into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia.
"This isn't our business," Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin, was quoted as saying by the news agency RIA Novosti.
"The investigation has no direct relation to Russia," Igor Ananskikh, head of the sports committee at the State Duma, the lower chamber of Russian Parliament, was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax. "All talk that Russia might lose the 2018 World Cup is absolutely groundless. This isn't going to happen."
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is also a member of FIFA's ExCo and was the chairman of Russia's 2018 World Cup campaign, denied a report that he, alongside other members of FIFA ExCo, has been summoned for questioning.
Mutko: "No one has summoned me anywhere. If I receive an invitation to talk, I'll gladly accept it. We have nothing to hide, so why would I go into hiding?"
Meanwhile, some Russian legislators went as far as accusing the U.S. of initiating the investigation as an attempt to take over control of int'l football and to launch an attack against Russia.
"FIFA corruption is bad for the United States because that country can't benefit from it," Nikolai Levichev, the State Duma's deputy speaker, told the Russian TV station NTV. "Now the FBI is taking over international football, as it is linked to huge money."
He went on to say, "[The investigation's] goal is much broader than to just take the World Cup away from us. They want to discredit Russia in the eyes of the international community."
Vladimir Kozlov is a writer in Moscow.
