Russian president Vladimir Putin has claimed that Sepp Blatter "deserves the Nobel Prize".
The 79-year-old is to stand down from his position as FIFA president next year due to the corruption scandal that has engulfed the governing body.
"I think people like Mr Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition," Putin told RTS. "If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel Prize, it's those people.
"We all know the situation developing around Mr Blatter right now. I don't want to go into details but I don't believe a word about him being involved in corruption personally."
Blatter's reign as president of FIFA will end next February.
