FIFA president Sepp Blatter is not avoiding travel to the United States “because of alleged FBI requests,” according to world football’s governing body.
A documentary, on Tuesday night, claimed ‘the FBI has been investigating FIFA with the cooperation of a former senior American official in the organisation’.
It is claimed that Blatter has not entered the United States since 2011, and allegedly ‘decided it would be unwise to set foot on American soil’.
FIFA has yet to confirm when Blatter last visited the USA, but stress he has not received any request from American law enforcement agencies.
“The information that the FIFA president is avoiding travel to the USA because of any alleged FBI requests is absolutely untrue,” said a FIFA spokeswoman. “FIFA has never received any request from the American law enforcement. During his mandate period he will usually try to visit as many of the 209 member associations as possible.”
The FBI has declined to reveal whether it is formally investigating FIFA.
“With few exceptions, the FBI can neither confirm nor deny the existence of investigations,” said an FBI spokesman.
