Benelux bid welcomed by Blatter</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> BRUXELLES (AFP) - The joint bid by Belgium and The Netherlands to host the 2018 World Cup finals was welcomed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday according to the Dutch Football Federation president. Jeu Sprengers said that far from condemning them for putting together a joint bid, the Swiss supremo of FIFA had been encouraging about it. "Mr Blatter said that we were the first candidates to come to Zurich and show their dossier to FIFA," said Sprengers. "He added that our initiative opened up the way for smaller countries who didn't dare bid on their own." Blatter has been openly hostile to joint candidate bids despite the success of the 2002 World Cup which was co-hosted by Japan and South Korea. According to FIFA procedure the Benelux candidacy - which is supported by Luxembourg, who could also be part of the bid - must be filed by 2009. They face stiff opposition, however, with Australia, China, England, Mexico, Russia, Uruguay and Argentina having declared their intent to also bid - England are the only ones to have officially done so so far. The winning bid will be announced in 2011.</div></p>
FIFA should try and use that to their advantage and ask countries to fix their problems (crime, etc) first before qualifying for the world cup.</p>
