Sorokin

Minutes before he was told that England's formal complaint had reignited the row about his ill-advised attempt to discuss the varying approaches of the British and Russian media, Sorokin promised that despite all the noises off, allegations of dirty tricks and investigations into corruption he would maintain focus as the race entered its end game.

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

It seemed an armistice had been reached earlier today when Alexei Sorokin, head of Russia's bid, apologized for his comments last week about the seamy side of London – which had prompted England's team to send a complaint to Fifa.

'They're so petty' – How Russia sees the World Cup spat with England Tom Parfitt in Moscow 2010

It also plays to the tendency for Fifa executive committee members to think of themselves as social engineers on a grand scale, with Sorokin today talking about what the World Cup could do to break down "misconceptions" and showcase "the new Russia".

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

The dispute exploded on Tuesday when, during a presentation by the Russian chief executive Alexei Sorokin in Zurich, it emerged England had submitted an official complaint to Fifa demanding an apology over his reported comments on London's crime rate and youth alcoholism.

Russian official slams England's 'absolutely primitive' World Cup bid Owen Gibson in Zurich 2010

So Sorokin was at pains to highlight the extent to which the huge investment will also be supported by private enterprise.

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

England will be hoping to persuade prime minister David Cameron, David Beckham and Prince William to make the trip while Sorokin confirmed the Russian bid was still hoping Vladimir Putin would repeat his show-stealing personal appearance that helped secure the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

In his presentation, Sorokin tried to make a virtue of another obvious criticism of Russia's bid - that the country is just too big, with the bid proposal stretching from Kalingrad on the Polish border to Yekaterinburg beyond the Ural mountains in the east.

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

Sorokin, speaking after his presentation, said: When you have a society of 145m people, there are outbreaks but they do not represent a trend.

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

That was the case even before England's official complaint to Fifa over the reported comments of the Russian bid's chief executive, Alexei Sorokin, about London's problems with crime and binge drinking, remarks made in apparent contravention of the bidding rules.

England and Russia bid to be different in race for 2018 World Cup Owen Gibson 2010

Earlier, Sorokin said he had written to the England bid team to explain his actions but would not be apologising formally.

Russian official slams England's 'absolutely primitive' World Cup bid Owen Gibson in Zurich 2010