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Russia 2018 boss Alexei Sorokin says he "regrets" remarks he made about World Cup bid rival England – but claims they were wrongly interpreted.

In an interview with Russian newspaper Sport Express, Sorokin slammed the British media for its criticism of his country's bid.

Asked why Russia does not respond to such negative reporting, Sorokin was widely quoted as saying: "We do not enter into squabbles, although we have much to say. It's no secret, for example, that London [has] the highest crime rate when compared with other European cities, and the highest level of alcohol consumption among young people."

Sorokin could be in trouble with Fifa after breaching strict rules which ban bid nations criticising their rivals, though England has not filed a formal complaint.

In a statement to World Football Insider, the Russian bid dismissed the furore, pleading mistranslation of the interview and claiming Sorokin's comments had been "blown out of proportion".

"The question was about in which ways and tonality media in different countries cover the current 2018/2022 Fifa World Cup bid activities,” the statement said. “Mr Sorokin pointed out that Russian media refrained from highlighting negative aspects in other countries.

"His replies were rhetorical questions. By way of illustration, he was using a metaphor in the sense that such mutual highlighting of negative aspects was comparable to bickering housewives in the communal washhouse, raising a fuss over everything and speaking badly about each other.

"This context was lost, in particular in translation. Mr Sorokin regrets if his statements may therefore have led to such an erroneous interpretation and understanding."

Russian bid spokesman Andreas Herren added: "If there is a formal inquiry, the Russian bid committee is happy to provide an original transcript of the interview and a certified translation."