None other persons deserve a Nobel Prize than president of world football’s governing body Fifa, opines Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Blatter, 79, has said he will stand down as head of world football after seven of its high ranking officials were arrested at a Swiss hotel as part of a United States investigation.
Swiss prosecutors are also probing the decision to award the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar respectively.
“People like Mr Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition,” said Putin.
“If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel Prize, it’s those people.”
Fifa has already confirmed it will hold a special elective congress on 26 February, 2016, to vote for Blatter’s successor. The Swiss has been at the helm of Fifa since 1998, when he succeeded JOao Havelange.
“We all know the situation developing around Mr Blatter right now,” added Putin in an interview with Swiss television.
“I don’t want to go into details but I don’t believe a word about him being involved in corruption personally.”
