This way out, Sepp!
(and let’s slam the door on sleaze after you)
Sepp Blatter sensationally quit as FIFA president last night, just four days after being re-elected for a fifth term.
the announcement follows a week of chaos f or f ootball’s world governing body in which 18 officials were accused of money laundering, tax evasion and racketeering by United States authorities.
the final straw came yesterday when a leaked letter showed Blatter’s right-hand man, Jerome Valcke, knew about a $10million payment to an account controlled by t he disgraced former vice-president Jack Warner from the South african Fa. Greg Dyke, the Fa chairman, said: ‘It is a great day for football. Now he’s gone — let’s celebrate.’ He also suggested changes at the top of FIFA could undermine Qatar’s controversial hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
the 79-year-old Blatter, in charge of FIFA for 17 years, will stay in his position until an election takes place between December and March.
I want to do what is best for FIFA and for football. I felt compelled to stand for re-election, as I believed this was the best thing for the organisation... That election is over but FIFA’s challenges are not. It needs a profound overhaul... While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA, I do not feel I have a mandate from the entire world of football... I’ve decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA president until that election... We need deeprooted structural change. What matters to me is when all this is over, football is the winner.