Reuters reports that Sepp Blatter rocked the world of soccer on Tuesday by unexpectedly quitting as FIFA president in the face of a corruption investigation that has plunged the game’s governing body into the worst crisis in its history.
Blatter, 79, announced the decision at a hastily arranged news conference in Zurich, six days after the FBI raided a hotel in Zurich and arrested several FIFA officials and just four days after he was re-elected to a fifth term as president.
Blatter said an election to choose a new president for the deeply troubled organization would be held as soon as possible. A FIFA official said that could happen any time from December this year to March of next year.
“FIFA needs profound restructuring,” said Blatter, a Swiss national who has been a dominating presence at FIFA for decades.
“I have thoroughly considered my presidency and thought about my presidency and the last 40 years of my life,” Blatter, speaking in French, told the news conference.
“I decided to stand again to be elected because I was convinced it was the best option for football.
“Although the members of FIFA gave me a new mandate, this mandate does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world.”
Blatter’s decision was immediately welcomed by his most prominent critics.
European football federation chief Michel Platini, a French former international soccer star, said: “It was a difficult decision, a brave decision, and the right decision.”
Greg Dyke, chairman of the English Football Association, said it was “good news for world football”. He then asked: “Who got him? Who shot him? What happened between then (when he was elected) and now?”
“We haven’t had a squeaky clean president for many, many years,” Dyke told Sky Sports.
FIFA, which Blatter had ruled since 1998, was left reeling this week by the announcement of a U.S. investigation into alleged widespread financial wrongdoing stretching back for more than two decades.
Swiss authorities also mounted their own criminal probe into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively.
The U.S. Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn had no immediate comment.
The office of the Swiss Attorney General, which is investigating alleged criminal mismanagement and money laundering at FIFA, said Blatter’s resignation would have no effect on its proceedings. It said Blatter himself was not subject to investigation.
While Blatter was not mentioned in either the U.S. or Swiss investigations, there had been widespread calls for him to quit, mostly from Western nations. Some major sponsors also expressed misgivings about the impact of the scandal.
Very good day for football…now the corrupt Galu and the Caf president should follow suit!!
Elias Mpondela should follow suit.
FIFA is disorganized a lot due to poor & corrupt leadership. Blatter had to go! It was folly for him to hang on in the midst of such accusations. He has nowhere to run to. America is a super power & football administrators cannot intimidate them. I mean if those arrests were made in Zambia against FAZ officials even with clear evidence FIFA wud threat Zambia with sanctions. I was expecting the same against America. But that was not to be esp even his own country Switzerland & EUFA are involved. In fact Michel Platini threatened to pull EUFA out of 2018 World Cup. Where wud this hav left FIFA without European & American money. I mean European & American companies like Coca Cola, McDonalds, Adidas, Nike etc. are major sponsors. So he just had to go whether on his terms (he cud hav…
. So he just had to go whether on his terms (he cud hav negotiated his exit) or not.
FBI invistigations will review more shoddy dealings. Danny Jordan who has a bone to chew with FIFA & Kalu when he lost to Kalu gave the last straw for Blatter to resign. He confirmed South Africa bribed FIFA ($10m) & Jerome Valke was aware. It has always been my hope to form another transparent world football organization. Now that the buffoon is leaving may be there is a better chance for reformation i.e. improved complete overhaul.
What used to puzzle me most was when football associations failed to raise funds for tournaments and governments come in to help. But when funds are clearly stolen the same governments cannot prosecute football officials. If it did the country wud be suspended. It meant…
But when funds are clearly stolen the same governments cannot prosecute football officials. If it did the country wud be suspended. It meant fund us but don’t question how we misuse your funds. This is stupidity. Funders have every right to question how their monies have been spent. Even Brian Hapunda had to account & disclose how Mahtani’s money was used.
Long overdue. Its not good to overstay, even as a visitor.
FIFA are undergoing a long overdue cleansing process and the same thing should happen to the FAZ. There is somebody at the FAZ who is so big-headed that he has turned the organisation into his own market stall and has the support of the powers that be. Zambia is so corrupt.
kalu should follow & caf president also follow too much selfish does we are failing to look for good coach in zambia.
lets be honest without this man we would never have seen a world cup in asian, african or south america I see the rest of the world cups going to america or europe
Rubbish! You just suffer from metathesiophobia (the fear of change) Blatter or not, it was just a matter of time before Africa hosted the tournament. Sometimes change is good, even if it sounds terrifying. Its true the man made his contributions to the sport, but its time we tried others too, that is how it goes baba!
Blatter has let down Africa and Asia by resigning to flimsy whims by Uefa! Africa and Asia should vote against whoever Uefa ‘ll propose! Sepp had down a lot for Africa and Asia!
Sepp Blatter = Rupiah Banda
This is power of the huge advertisers like coke that were threatening to pull funding.
HH should follow suit
,,And your father must follow suit
@ Red Equire
sponge bob does not have father, only mother.
he unexpectedly “reigns”? He has been on the seat for the past 17 years! Correct it to read resigns