FIFA in crisis: Day 2 timeline
7.12amA second day of scandal starts badly for FIFA president Sepp Blatter, with main FIFA sponsors Visa threatening to end their deal.
7.27amThe head of Russia’s 2018 organising committee says they are not concerned by developments at FIFA. Alexey Sorokin says: ‘We have repeatedly stated that we’re not afraid of any investigation.’
7.46am A spokesman confirms Blatter will not make a scheduled appearance at FIFA’s medical conference.
9.39am Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Hyundai and McDonald’s — all major FIFA sponsors — admit they are concerned by allegations of corruption but none commit to taking firm action.
10.03am FA chairman Greg Dyke reiterates the need for Blatter to go, saying: ‘There is no way of re-building trust while he is still there. He has to go through resignation, be out-voted or we have to find a third way.’
10.19am Russia president Vladimir Putin (above) accuses the US of meddling. ‘This is yet another blatant attempt to extend its jurisdiction to other states,’ he says, before backing Blatter.
11.49am Prime Minister David Cameron backs calls for Blatter to quit as FIFA president.
11.54amIt is confirmed that Blatter held an emergency meeting in Zurich with representatives from the six confederations including UEFA president Michel Platini.
12.20pm The Confederation of African Football releases a statement opposing the postponement of the presidential election.
12.36pm Manuel Nascimento Lopes (right), the president of the GuineaBissau FA, describes calls for Blatter to resign as FIFA president as ‘blasphemy’.
1.15pm UEFA decide not to boycott the election, but will mostly vote for Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein. UK FIFA vice-president David Gill says he will step down if Blatter is re-elected.
2.07pm Platini reveals he urged Blatter to step down during their meeting. He said: ‘I told him, “Sepp, I’d like to speak to you man to man, face to face.” He said, “It’s too late. I can’t all of a sudden leave when congress starts this afternoon.” I told Sepp Blatter to leave, to step down, because you are giving FIFA a terrible image.’
4.18pm At the opening of the FIFA congress, Blatter insists that although many hold him ‘ultimately responsible’ for the corruption, he could ‘not monitor everyone all of the time’.