Moscow, May 29
The recent arrest of top FIFA managers on corruption charges is a manifestation of US attempts to extend its jurisdiction to foreign countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"This is another blatant attempt to extend US jurisdiction to other countries, also an attempt to prevent the re-election of (FIFA President Sepp) Blatter," Putin said on Thursday

Calling the move "a flagrant violation of the principle of international organisations", Putin questioned the legality of US authorities charging FIFA officials of actions done "in the territory of a third state", Xinhua reported.

"It is possible that someone has violated something, but the US has nothing to do with that."

Recalling that Blatter had withstood severe pressure to revoke the 2018 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup from Russia, Putin stressed that sports and politics should not be mixed.

"Sport must be a floor for dialogue, reconciliation and solution-seeking," he said.

14 FIFA senior officials and corporate executives, including FIFA vice-president Jeffery Webb, were arrested on Wednesday in Zurich and pending extradition as US authorities suspected them of having received bribes.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said earlier that the functionaries had no relation to the 2018 World Cup bidding campaign and that the case would not affect preparations for the world cup in the country.

Great news if arrested FIFA officials confirmed guilty: Nadal

Spain's tennis champion Rafael Nadal here said it would be great news for football if the senior officials arrested amid a FIFA crisis were confirmed to be guilty.

"I don't have 100 percent information, and maybe nobody have the 100 percent information today (Thursday) yet. So it's difficult to talk about," Xinhua quoted him as saying at a post-match press conference

He made the men's singles last 32 with a straight sets win over compatriot Nicolas Almagro at Roland Garros.

"But it's obvious that, I mean, in the world of sport, in the world of football, in the world of tennis, politics, around the world, we need people who are fair and who are ready to work in a good way, being honest."

"And if there is some people that are not being honest with the rest of the people, then they don't deserve to be where they are," he said.

"So if that's what happened on that case with some people of FIFA, is great news that these people will not be there again."

"It's important to have the right people at every place," he added.

FIFA were hit on Wednesday when nine high-profile FIFA officials and five corporate executives were arrested in Zurich and charged by the US for racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering.

The crisis came with just two days before the soccer's world governing body was to hold the presidential re-election.