Lent.az
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stated that he supports fans who are boycotting the football World Cup matches to be held in the USA this year.
Lent.az reports with reference to "The Guardian" that Sepp Blatter supported the views of Swiss lawyer Mark Pieth, who worked with the organization on possible reforms and fought against corruption during Blatter's presidency at FIFA. Mark Pieth stated that fans should stay away from the USA during the tournament.
"I think Mark Pieth is right to question the holding of this World Cup," Blatter said on social media.
Mark Pieth cited the killing of 37-year-old Rene Good by a US immigration agent during a protest in Minneapolis earlier this month as one of the reasons why fans may not want to travel to the USA. Blatter supported Pieth's views after the killing of a second US citizen, Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents last weekend.
"The processes we are witnessing within the country: the marginalization of political opponents, abuses by immigration services, etc. do not encourage fans to go there. I just want to give the fans one piece of advice: Stay away from the United States! You'll probably see it better when you watch it on TV anyway. Once they arrive there, fans should know that if they don't behave properly with the authorities, they will be sent back immediately. If they're lucky...", Pieth said in an interview last week.
Sepp Blatter resigned as FIFA president in 2015 amid several scandals and was replaced by Gianni Infantino, who had forged close ties with Donald Trump.
The football World Cup will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
