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FIFA Pres. Sepp Blatter resigns in wake of corruption scandal

Posted at 10:59 AM, Jun 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-06-02 13:06:05-04

FIFA President Sepp Blatter will step down as head of world soccer’s governing body but only after the organization’s executive committee organizes a fresh vote “for the election of my successor,” he said Tuesday.

He did not say when the election would be held but said it should be as soon as possible and before the next World Congress in May 2016

Speaking in Zurich, Blatter said the reforms he has tried to implement over the years have not been enough.

“I have thoroughly thought about my presidency and the 40 years FIFA has played in my life. I love FIFA more than anything else and I only want to do the best. I decided to stand again for election for the good of football,” he sad, referring to his re-election Friday.

However, he said, his “mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody.”

Latest remarks from Pres. Blatter:

“I have been reflecting deeply about my presidency and about the forty years in which my life has
been inextricably bound to FIFA and the great sport of football. I cherish FIFA more than
anything and I want to do only what is best for FIFA and for football. I felt compelled to stand
for re-election, as I believed that this was the best thing for the organisation. That election is
over but FIFA’s challenges are not. FIFA needs a profound overhaul.
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.
The next ordinary FIFA Congress will take place on 13 May 2016 in Mexico City. This would
create unnecessary delay and I will urge the Executive Committee to organise an Extraordinary
Congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity. This will need to be done
in line with FIFA’s statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present
themselves and to campaign.
Since I shall not be a candidate, and am therefore now free from the constraints that elections
inevitably impose, I shall be able to focus on driving far-reaching, fundamental reforms that
transcend our previous efforts. For years, we have worked hard to put in place administrative
reforms, but it is plain to me that while these must continue, they are not enough.
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.
The size of the Executive Committee must be reduced and its members should be elected
through the FIFA Congress. The integrity checks for all Executive Committee members must be
organised centrally through FIFA and not through the confederations. We need term limits not
only for the president but for all members of the Executive Committee.
I have fought for these changes before and, as everyone knows, my efforts have been blocked.
This time, I will succeed.
I cannot do this alone. I have asked Domenico Scala to oversee the introduction and
implementation of these and other measures. Mr. Scala is the Independent Chairman of our
Audit and Compliance Committee elected by the FIFA Congress. He is also the Chairman of the
ad hoc Electoral Committee and, as such, he will oversee the election of my successor. Mr.
Scala enjoys the confidence of a wide range of constituents within and outside of FIFA and has
all the knowledge and experience necessary to help tackle these major reforms.
It is my deep care for FIFA and its interests, which I hold very dear, that has led me to take this
decision. I would like to thank those who have always supported me in a constructive and loyal
manner as President of FIFA and who have done so much for the game that we all love. What
matters to me more than anything is that when all of this is over, football is the winner.”