Earlier this month Sorokin was quoted in Russian newspaper Sport Express as saying that London has the highest crime rates and alcohol consumption level among young people in Europe.
“I just expressed my regret over the whole thing, it was just a misunderstanding,” he said. “We’ve sent a letter of explanation to the English bid officials.”
The England bid had complained to FIFA, demanding an apology from the Russia bid chief. “It wasn’t a formal apology because I don’t feel like I’ve broken any rules,” Sorokin added.
Meanwhile Vyacheslav Koloskov, a former member of FIFA and UEFA’s executive committees and part of the Russian bid team, said the “English are afraid of how badly their bid is going” and called the behaviour of the England bid “primitive”.
