FIFA president Sepp Blatter has accused the US justice system and the British media of campaigning against him, in the wake of the latest corruption scandal to hit the governing body of world football.
Seven FIFA officials were arrested on Wednesday on orders of the FBI, over allegations of bribery, fraud and racketeering.
Blatter won a presidential election two days later, and is angry at the timing of the arrests, suggesting that they are not coincidental.
He told the New York Times: "No one is going to tell me that it was a simple coincidence, this American attack two days before the elections of FIFA. It doesn't smell right. This has touched me and FIFA.
"There are signs that cannot be ignored. The Americans were the candidates for the World Cup of 2022 and they lost. The English were the candidates for 2018 and they lost, so it was really the English media and the American movement."
The 2018 World Cup was awarded to Russia, and the 2022 tournament will take place in Qatar.
Charlie Bennett
