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Embattled FIFA President, Sepp Blatter has announced his resignation just four days after securing his fifth term re-election. “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,” he said.
Blatter made the shocking announcement before 18hours GMT cited widening corruption scandal engulfed the world’s football governing body for his decision to relinquish his plum job.
The 79-year-old Swiss who has functioned as FIFA president for 17 years and won another term of five years last Friday, announced in his brief Press Conference in Zurich that a special congress would be called as soon as possible to elect his successor. And that he will hold forth until his successor emerges.
Acvording to Mr. Blatter, the scandal-tainted FIFA needs “profound reconstruction” and that he had “thoroughly reconsidered” his presidency since his reelection. He added that the vote “does not seem to be supported by everybody in the world of football.”
Batter’s resignation came less than a week after Swiss police arrested seven FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, at a Zurich hotel.
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.
Mr Blatter became FIFA president in 1998. He had served as a senior official since 1975.
FIFA under his watch has been accused of extensive corruption with US and Switzerland currently on crackdown of the reign of bribery and corruption in the football governing institution.