Sepp Blatter did not attend the Women's World Cup final in Canada on Sunday night, as US investigators pour through FIFA's books in search of suspects in a broad corruption probe. However, Blatter told the "Welt am Sonntag" Sunday paper that he would travel to Russia, on July 25, when the qualifying groups for Russia's 2018 World Cup are drawn.

"For as long as things remain unresolved, I won't take any travel risks," Blatter said, adding that he was needed at FIFA's Zürich HQ, saying the "commanding officer reamins at his post during a battle."

The FIFA president, re-elected to a fifth term this May only to announce his intention to step down days later under fierce criticism, told the paper that he was being unfairly treated during the latest corruption allegations to hit world football's governing body.

"Criticism doesn't hurt. What hurts me are hateful tirades. From jealousy, hate has grown," Blatter said.

When the spotlight's on FIFA, it tends to focus on one man in particular

One point of criticism: awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar despite searing desert heat, no strong football culture, and allegations of mistreatment of migrant workers brought in to construct the World Cup sites.

"The paradox in this case is that I'm constantly called on to explain something that wasn't really my priority at all," Blatter said. "I operate using the management principle that if the majority of the executive committee want a World Cup in Qatar, then that's what I have to work with."

'Those who decided should also take the responsibility'

But instead of just focusing on FIFA's executive committee, the 24-member senior group responsible for voting for prospective World Cup hosts, Blatter broadened his scope to say there had been political pressure on certain key votes for the 2022 tournament. He singled out former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's previous president, Christian Wulff.

"Messrs. Sarkozy and Wulff tried to influence their delegates. That's why we now have a World Cup in Qatar. Those who decided should also take the responsibility," Blatter said, claiming that the request from Wulff to the German football association asked "that Germany votes for Qatar because of economic interests."

Former DFB President Theo Zwanziger had said in the past that he received a phone call from Wulff asking about Qatar's chances in its bid to host the tournament. Wulff, however, rejects taking any influence on the vote in his memoirs. As for the Kaiser, Franz Beckenbauer, who cast Germany's vote on the Executive Committee - he's never revealed which box he ticked.

"Just look at the German companies. Deutsche Bahn, [construction company] Hochtief and many more already had projects in Qatar, before the World Cup was even awarded," Blatter said.

msh/rd (dpa, SID)