Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he is shocked at a rule which has been inserted in the World Cup bidding process that could allow a five-man task force to disqualify a candidate before a democratic vote is held.

In 2011 the Fifa congress, where each of the global soccer body’s 211 member associations hold one vote, was given the right to choose the world cup hosts following a change proposed by Blatter while he was president.

The first hosting decision since then will be in June at the congress in Moscow, where only two bids are in the running – a joint proposal from the united states/Canada/Mexico and one from morocco.

However, the two bids must first pass a technical inspection from a five-man task force, which has the power to disqualify a candidate whose proposal is seen as not up to scratch.

Blatter, who was banned for six years in 2015 for unethical conduct but has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and believes he can get the suspension reversed, that both candidates should have the right to present their bids to congress.