Mutko crashes the party

FIFA’s pre-draw press conference was hijacked by Russia’s deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko in a major PR embarrassment. Mutko, sitting alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, used the platform to defend Russia over their doping issues, claiming countries including the UK and the US were not subject to the same scrutiny.

Infantino, when asked about sharing the stage, could only say: ‘If Mr Mutko wasn’t here, I would be able to speak more.’ Mutko’s shameless intervention also explains why FIFA have kept their media activity with the Russian organising committee to a bare minimum.