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Sepp Blatter says European draws have been fixed
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he had witnessed rigged draws for European football competitions using "hot and cold balls," in an interview with an Argentine newspaper published Monday.
Blatter said no draw for a FIFA event had been fixed during his 18 years at the helm of world football's governing body, but said he had seen it done for European competitions.
"I never touched the balls," said Blatter, referring to the plastic balls containing the teams' names that are used in supposedly random draws for events like the World Cup or Champions League.
"Of course, you can mark them (by) heating them or cooling them," he told La Nacion.
"I witnessed draws at the European level where that happened. But never at FIFA. Of course it can be done."
Pressed for details by the interviewer, Blatter elaborated.
"You put the balls in the refrigerator beforehand. Just by comparing one and the other when you touch them you can tell the cold balls from the hot. When you touch them, you know what they are."
[...]
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he had witnessed rigged draws for European football competitions using "hot and cold balls," in an interview with an Argentine newspaper published Monday.
Blatter said no draw for a FIFA event had been fixed during his 18 years at the helm of world football's governing body, but said he had seen it done for European competitions.
"I never touched the balls," said Blatter, referring to the plastic balls containing the teams' names that are used in supposedly random draws for events like the World Cup or Champions League.
"Of course, you can mark them (by) heating them or cooling them," he told La Nacion.
"I witnessed draws at the European level where that happened. But never at FIFA. Of course it can be done."
Pressed for details by the interviewer, Blatter elaborated.
"You put the balls in the refrigerator beforehand. Just by comparing one and the other when you touch them you can tell the cold balls from the hot. When you touch them, you know what they are."
[...]
