FIFA president Sepp Blatter has resigned as
president of FIFA amid a growing corruption
scandal, he announced today at a surprise
press conference.
"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,"
he said. "Therefore, I have decided to lay down
my mandate at an extraordinary elective
Congress."
There will be a congress of FIFA members and a
new president will be elected, at which time he
will step down the post he has held since 1998.
This will take place sometime between
December of 2015 and March of 2016, FIFA
says.
Blatter said he will work on "driving far-
reaching, fundamental reforms" before he steps
down.
"FIFA needs a profound overhaul," he said.
It's a shocking move. Two days after nine
current and former FIFA officials were arrested
in a $150 million bribery scandal, Blatter
defiantly stood for a fifth term and was
reelected in a landslide . Now, less than a week
later, he's quitting.
Here's Blatter's full statement announcing his
intention to resign:
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.
The shock announcement comes a day after the
New York Times reported that U.S. law
enforcement believes Blatter's top deputy,
Jerome Valcke , transferred $10 million in bribe
money to accounts controlled by arrested ex-
official Jack Warner. Valcke was not arrested
and isn't accused of any wrongdoing, and both
FIFA and Valcke denied that he authorized the
payment.
While the corruption allegations almost
exclusively related to activity in North and
South America, Blatter was under intense
criticism for presiding over an organization that
U.S. attorney general Loretta Lynch said was
plagued by "rampant, systemic, and deep-
rooted" corruption.
