BREAKING: Sepp Blatter announces resignation
In a hastily-arranged press conference in Zurich, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has announced his resignation, effective immediately.
Partial transcript of Blatter’s statement:
I have thoroughly considered my presidency and thought about my presidency and the last 40 years in my life.
These years were closely related to Fifa and this wonderful sport of football, I appreciate and love Fifa more than anything else and only want to do the best for football and Fifa and our institution.
I felt compelled to stand for re-election, as I believed that this was the best thing for the organisation. That election is over but FIFA’s challenges are not. FIFA needs a profound overhaul.
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 as much as we all do at FIFA.
This is why I will call an extraordinary congress to be held as soon as possible for a new president elected to follow me with a new election held.
I will not stand, I am now free from the constraints of an election. I will be in a position to focus on profound reforms. For many years we have called for reforms but these are not sufficient.
Following his statement, Blatter exited the stage immediately without taking any questions, and he was followed by Domenico Scala, FIFA’s head of Audit and Compliance.
Scala then took the stage and began outlining the process that FIFA will undertake to elect a new President via an extra-ordinary Congress before the next scheduled one that is set for Mexico City in May of 2016:
Under the rules governing FIFA, the election of the President and any fundamental reforms to the FIFA statutes must be voted on by the Members at the FIFA Congress. The next FIFA Congress is scheduled for May 2016 in Mexico City. As the President has stated, this would be an unnecessary delay.
In order to facilitate more immediate action, the President will ask the Executive Committee to organise an Extraordinary Congress in order to elect the new President and vote upon these reforms.
Based upon the FIFA statutes, a four-month notice is required for any presidential elections to be held. FIFA must also consider appropriate time to vet candidates and allow them to present their ideas for the organisation that set forth their vision.
Therefore, while the decision on timing of the Extraordinary Congress and election of a new President will ultimately be up to the Executive Committee, the expectation is that this could take place anytime from December of this year to March of next year.
Scala also announced that he will be heading the effort to implement reforms within FIFA. Among the areas he brought up were the structure and composition of the Executive Committee, the elections process, accountability measures, term limits, and transparency/public disclosure.
Online reaction:
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNewsHQ/status/605831798061342720/photo/1
Blatter had been defiant following his re-election last Friday, referring to himself as “the President of everyone” and declaring FIFA a ship under his command during his acceptance speech. It appeared that even following the indictments that had been handed down by the US Department of Justice and the subsequent Swiss investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, he was still in a strong position.
This position was reflected by the vote tallies, even as Prince Ali bin al-Hussein managed to garner enough votes during the election to force a 2nd vote before withdrawing.
Speculation will be rife as to the circumstances that led to Blatter’s U-turn today. Barely 24 hours prior, word had emerged that FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke had knowledge of, if not direct connection to, a $10 million payment to high-ranking CONCACAF officials that was ostensibly for a soccer development program.
This $10 million amount had already been linked to payments to vote for South Africa’s 2010 World Cup bid by the USDOJ investigation. As Blatter’s #2 and the one who worked most closely with him, Valcke’s involvement would have raised even more questions about Blatter’s involvement and knowledge of the bribes and kickbacks that are currently being investigated.
FIFA’s initial reaction was to state that the development program was an approved measure in line with its financial policy and procedures, but then this letter from the South African FA surfaced early this morning:
(UPDATE) Indeed, ABC News had reported this morning that Blatter, though not initially indicted along with the other officials last week, was in fact under investigation by the FBI and USDOJ for his part in the bribery and kickback scheme that had pervaded the FIFA World Cup and media rights process.
(UPDATE) The New York Times confirmed the ABC News report, citing United States law enforcement officials. Verbatim, the report states that “in their efforts to build a case against Mr. Blatter they were hoping to win the cooperation of some of the FIFA officials now under indictment and work their way up the organization.”
Translation: the USDOJ indictments handed down last week were just the tip of the iceberg, and sights had been set higher.
(UPDATE) The FIFA Ethics Committee statement just released within the hour:
The investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee takes note of the FIFA president’s announcement that he will be stepping down. The chamber will continue its mandate along with the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee of consistently ensuring compliance with FIFA’s Code of Ethics and will make this its highest priority, regardless of who is President. The body’s independence from the President, regardless of who is exercising this function, is a key part of good corporate governance.
Rumors about candidates for the Presidency have already surfaced:
https://twitter.com/JuanG_Arango/status/605783927798628354
Other names that have surfaced so far include UEFA President Michel Platini, who issued calls for Blatter’s resignation last week prior to the FIFA election and former Portuguese national team captain and Ballon d’Or winner Luis Figo,
Developing story. Updates to come.