Blatter denies resigning from Fifa presidency
LAUSANNE: Sepp Blatter has claimed that he “did not resign” as Fifa president, according to a report by Swiss newspaper Blick.
“I did not resign. I put myself and my office in the hands of the Fifa congress,” Blick reported Blatter as saying during a visit to the site of the future Fifa museum in the Swiss city of Zurich.
The 79-year- old Blatter announced on June 2 tha the would step down from Fifa presidency at an extraordinary congress to be held between December this year and March 2016.That decision followed the crisis that engulfed Fifa with 18 people indicted in the United States on football-related corruption charges. Since then, sources close to Blatter have been reported as saying he was not ruling out the prospect of going back on his decision to resign after receiving messages of support from Asian and African federations. On Friday, Fifa confirmed Blatter’s comments but said that they were “nothing new. They are exactly the words he used in his speech on June 2 when he explained that he would lay down his mandate and would continue with his mission until the elective congress.” Blatter’s announcement on June 2 came just days after he had been re-elected as president. At the time, he said: “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. “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.” An extraordinary meeting of Fifa Executive Committee will take place in Zurich on July 20, when a date will be fixed for congress at which Blatter’s successor will be elected.
OFFICIAL’S BAIL PLEA DENIED
ZURICH: One of the seven soccer officials arrested in Zurich on May 27 following an extradition request from the United States has had a request for bail rejected, a Swiss court said on Friday.
“The arguments put forward in support of his release, such as his advanced age and poor state of health, were not regarded as sufficient to counter the risk of absconding,” said the Federal Criminal Court statement