Vladimir Putin has suggested Sepp Blatter, the Fifa boss currently suspended amid a corruption scandal, should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for developing world football.
The Russian president was full of praise for Blatter on Monday, claiming he has done much to develop the sport globally.
"He [Sepp Blatter] is a very reputable person who has contributed greatly to the development of modern football. His contribution to the global humanitarian field is enormous," Putin was quoted as saying by Russia Today.
"He has always tried to use football, not just for sport, but as a tool for fostering cooperation between people. "He has done a lot to develop world football. We should give him the Nobel peace prize."
But his suggestion has raised a few eyebrows, and not everybody, it seems, would agree.
Blatter appeared before an ethics committee at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Thursday to deny any allegations of wrong doing. He was suspended for 90 days following charges over a £1.35m payment to Uefa boss, Michel Platini, who also denies any wrong doing.
Regardless of his view, Putin's recommendation comes too late. The 2015 Peace Prize has already been awarded to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for their work in developing a peaceful political process following the Arab Spring of 2011.
