However, the Russian said he would not apologise for the comments as he claims they were misinterpreted.
“I can only apologise for this misunderstanding,” Sorokin said. “We have the tapes of the interview and I know for a fact that I didn't break any rules.”
“I did not try to hurt or discredit our bid rivals, there was no malice intended, I’m one hundred per cent sure of that.”
“I will provide an explanation to FIFA but I do not feel that what I said originally requires an apology,” he added. “In the interview I used London’s problems as an example. Such things are part of life in any big city.”
The England 2018 bid had filed an official complaint to FIFA about remarks on the city’s high crime rates and youth drinking problem made by Sorokin to Russian newspaper Sport Express.
Sorokin blamed Sport Express’ vague interpretation of his comments, the translation from Russian into English and British journalists’ fabrications for the misunderstanding.
