It’s one of football’s most enduring conspiracy theories.
Fans on the end of a bum cup draw will often claim the balls must be being heated up to sway the outcome of the draw.
But this was largely stuff of fringe conspiracy and pub gossip, until ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter made an astonishing claim during an interview with Argentinian outlet La Nacion.
The octogenarian former FIFA head said that draws using balls can easily be rigged with the method.
“Of course it’s technically possible. FIFA not exist, but I witnessed draws, at European level, in which it happened.
“But never in the FIFA. Sure you can do, but in my case never happened, ever.
“The draw was clean until the last detail. I never touched the balls, which made others do. Sure, they can be signaled, by heating or cooling them.”
He even went as far as to say he witnessed the fixing of a draw at European competition level, according to the Mirror.
“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes and it was like cheating.
“It was for a European competition. Only one team has managed that. It was an Italian side.
“You can see the balls that are drawn identified either by making them hot, or if they have been cooled. I was a witness.”
