FIFA: Sepp Blatter resigns

Zurich

Sepp Blatter yesterday resigned as president of FIFA in a stunning capitulation to critics as a mounting corruption scandal engulfed world football's governing body.

The 79-year-old Swiss official, FIFA president for 17 years and only reelected on Friday, calmly told a hastily arranged press conference that a special congress would be called as soon as possible to choose a successor.

"I felt compelled to stand for re-election, as I believed that this was the best thing for the organisation," he told a hastily arranged press conference at the organisation's Zurich headquarters.

"That election is over but FIFA’s challenges are not. FIFA needs a profound overhaul," Blatter added.

Blatter did not mention the corruption storm that erupted less than a week ago, but went on: "While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA, I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football – the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at FIFA.

"Therefore, I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA President until that election."

Blatter has defiantly held off resignation calls for many months amid controversies over the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup to Russia and Qatar and more recently over bribes allegedly taken by top soccer officials. 

Swiss police arrested seven FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, at a Zurich hotel last Wednesday setting off the latest storm for Blatter.

The arrests were carried out on behalf of US prosecutors who accuse the seven, and eight other suspects, of involvement in $150 million of bribes.

Blatter had repeatedly pleaded his innocence and that of FIFA over the corruption. 

"The executive committee includes representatives of confederations over whom we have no control, but for whose actions FIFA is held responsible. We need deep-rooted structural change," he reaffirmed in his statement.

Blatter said he would remain in office as an interim leader until the election.

The special congress cannot be held until between December 2015 and March 2016, according to Domenico Scala, chairman of FIFA's independent audit and compliance committee.

Critics were quick to welcome Blatter's shock announcement, though some praised him.

“It was a difficult decision, a brave decision, and the right decision,” said UEFA president Michel Platini, a former ally who last week told the FIFA president to his face that he should leave.

English Football Association chief Greg Dyke, one of the fiercest criticis of the FIFA leader, said the resignation was "great for football."