Sepp Blatter’s shock resignation as president of FIFA failed yesterday to quell the corruption storm surrounding world soccer’s governing body that now even threatens to touch him.
The FBI is looking into Blatter’s role in tens of millions of dollars of bribes given to soccer officials, according to US media, while Interpol put six other suspects, including two former FIFA executive members, on its most-wanted list.
Critics of the 79-year-old Swiss official rejoiced at his thunderbolt announcement on Tuesday that he would stand down as soon as an election can be held to find a successor.
Photo: Reuters
His decision sparked a global race to take over as head of the world’s richest and most powerful sporting federation.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who was beaten by Blatter in a vote on Friday last week, South Korean tycoon Chung Mong-joon and Brazilian legend Zico all said they could take part.
Most eyes remain on Michel Platini, the UEFA president who has not given a hint of his plans, but Platini did call off a meeting of the European confederation to discuss the FIFA crisis in Berlin on Saturday because of the “uncertain and unpredictable events” surrounding the world body.
Blatter, who has ruled FIFA for 17 years, won a fifth term in an election on Friday last week, but renewed criticism of his reign and new corruption revelations about FIFA forced him into a corner.
“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,” he told a press conference late on Tuesday.
Blatter vowed that in his remaining months in office he would “focus on driving far-reaching, fundamental reforms that transcend our previous efforts.”
US authorities have charged 14 soccer officials and sports company executives over more than US$150 million in bribes. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch refused yesterday to comment on reports that Blatter is also an FBI target.
The New York Times quoted law enforcement officials and other sources to back their report that the FIFA president is now in the firing line.
ABC News said Blatter was part of the larger probe that led to the arrest of seven FIFA officials in a luxury Swiss hotel on Wednesday last week.
“Now that people are going to want to save themselves, there’s probably a race to see who will flip on [Blatter] first,” one source told ABC News.
Acting on a US request, Interpol yesterday put disgraced FIFA former executive members Jack Warner and Nicolas Leoz on its most-wanted list and issued an international alert.
Four heads of sports marketing companies have also been put on the list. All six are among the 14 wanted by US authorities.
Warner, a former FIFA vice president, is in Trinidad and Tobago. Leoz, an executive member, is reportedly under house arrest in his native Paraguay.
In parallel to the US inquiry, Swiss prosecutors are looking into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar.
Blatter’s resignation resonated around the world.
German tabloid Bild had the front-page headline “Blatter Get Out!”
“He’s not been honorable in years. Now he’s gone — let’s celebrate,” Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said.
Brazilian legend Pele called for “honest people” to clean up the game.
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