A number of MPs think the Dutch government and football association KNVB should demand repayment of the money the Netherlands spent on trying to host the 2018 World Cup.

The demand follows comments by Fifa chairman Sepp Blatter who said last week that the world football body agreed secretly before the 2010 vote that Russia should host the world championships.

Now it is clear the Netherlands never had a chance of winning, sports minister Edith Schippers should reclaim the money, Labour MP Tjeerd van Dekken is quoted as saying by news agency ANP.

The Netherlands and Belgium submitted a joint bid to host the tournament. England and a combination of Spain and Portugal were also competing. It is unclear how much the bid cost the Dutch taxpayer.

Although the government was fully behind the bid at the time, the campaign was not without controversy.

Many MPs and others were unhappy at the large number of concessions the Netherlands would have had to make to Fifa if it had won. These included massive tax breaks, strict controls on marketing and diplomatic immunity for Fifa officials.