Sepp Blatter Resigns As FIFA President Following Corruption Scandal

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has announced he is resigning after the major corruption scandal the organization is going through, where a US Justice Department indictment naming 14 criminal defendants including top FIFA officials on charges of bribery, money laundering, and fraud. Although Blatter was not charged with any of the mentioned crimes, they did happen during his 20-year presidency, so the pressure for him to step down had been immense. Even so, the Swiss official was re-elected last week, after seven top FIFA officials were arrested two days before the vote as part of the US prosecution. In addition, Blatter, announced the decision at a news conference in Zurich, six days after the FBI raided a hotel in Zurich and arrested several FIFA officials.

“My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody,” explained Blatter, before continuing to elaborate on the reasoning behind his resignation. “I am very much linked to FIFA and its interests. Those interests are dear to me and this is why I am taking this decision," he added. In the meantime, the allocations for the upcoming World Cups in 2018 and 2022 are under investigation as well, since the locations are highly suspected of having been corruptly chosen.

It remains unclear when a new president will be elected, but officials have said it needs to happen “as rapidly as possible.” One of the potential hold ups might be that according to FIFA bylaws, an extraordinary congress can only be held within three months of when it is requested. “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,” Blatter insisted.