Putin hits out at ‘odd’ US probe

Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused the US of meddling in Fifa’s affairs and hinted that it was part of an attempt to take the 2018 World Cup away from his country.

Putin said he found it “odd” that the probe was launched at the request of US officials for crimes which do not involve its citizens and did not happen in the US.

Corruption charges in the US were announced on Wednesday against 14 people, with at least two of them holding American citizenship, and linking them to banks in the US.