DHAKA: Sepp Blatter resigned as president of FIFA in a stunning capitulation to critics as a mounting corruption scandal engulfed world football’s governing body on Tuesday.

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 organization,” he told a hastily arranged press conference at the organization’s Zurich headquarters, reports the NDTV.

“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.

BDST: 0821 HRS, JUNE 03, 2015
BD/