FIFA to replace Blatter: Election for next Prez to be held next year

Zurich (Switzerland)

FIFA will hold a special election on February 26 to replace president Sepp Blatter, football's scandal-tainted world body said Monday as French football great Michel Platini moved closer to launching a campaign.

The FIFA executive, including rivals Blatter and Platini, agreed the date at a meeting in Zurich where the "exraordinary elective FIFA congress" will be held.

Blatter announced on June 2, four days after winning a fifth term as president, that he would stand down as a major corruption storm hit world football's ruling body.

The decision was a victory for Blatter who had wanted the vote pushed back until 2016. UEFA and some other regional bodies had sought a December election.

Blatter was to announce at a later press conference whether the executive committee agreed to first reform measures for the multi-billion dollar body.

FIFA is still reeling from the arrest of seven officials at a Zurich congress two days before Blatter won reelection on May 29. The seven are among 14 people  soccer officials and sports business executives accused by US authorities over more than $150 million in bribes paid to secure television and marketing contracts for football tournaments.

Former FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb appeared in a New York court on Saturday after being extradited from Switzerland last week. He denied bribery charges but was only released on $10 million bail.

Swiss authorities are in parallel investigating the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.