Sepp Blatter’s contentious reign is officially over as the FIFA president announced that he will be stepping down four days after he was reelected for his fifth term.
During his public speech in Zurich, the most powerful man in football said he would remain in office until an election to appoint a successor has been conducted.
“FIFA needs a profound overhaul," Blatter 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 – the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at FIFA.
“Therefore, I have decided to lay down my mandate [as president] at an extraordinary elective congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA president until that election.”
Blatter’s resignation might come as a surprise to some people because the 79-years-old was extremely confident on the day of his reelection. After he defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, Blatter declared himself as the “president of everbody.”
"For the next four years I will be in command of this boat called FIFA. We will bring it back off shore.
“It is my congress, I have the right to make the closing remarks. This is a very important congress. You see I am in a good mood. I was a little bit nervous today, but now I am the president of everybody, I am the president of the whole FIFA,” he said.
Since then, it seems like the FBI’s astronomical pressure on him has finally demolished his stronghold of FIFA. The American agency has helped the United States Department of Justice indict 14 people -- nine football officials and five sports-marketing executives -- who face charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering. And according to ABC News, the FBI believes that they can implicate Blatter.
An FBI source told ABC News: “Now that people are going to want to save themselves, there’s probably a race to see who will flip on (Blatter) first. We may not be able to collapse the whole organization but maybe you don’t need to.”
As the FBI continues its investigation, Blatter will remain in office for the next few months. According to ESPN, “Domenico Scala, the chairman of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee, said an election would be held sometime between December 2015 and March 2016, during which time FIFA will vet candidates."
Michel Platini, UEFA’s president, is in the best position to be become the next FIFA president. The French great has publicly criticized Blatter and encouraged him to step down before the election.
“While he remains in place, whether he likes it or not, and whether it is fair or not, Fifa will lack credibility and its image will be tarnished, and so it will lack authority,” Platini said.
Another man that has a very good chance of replacing Blatter is the man he defeated two days ago, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein.
While declining to say whether or not he would run again, he told CNN: "I think we have to look to the future. I am at the disposal of all the national associations who want a change, including all of those who were afraid to make a change.''
During his public speech in Zurich, the most powerful man in football said he would remain in office until an election to appoint a successor has been conducted.
“FIFA needs a profound overhaul," Blatter 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 – the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football as much as we all do at FIFA.
“Therefore, I have decided to lay down my mandate [as president] at an extraordinary elective congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA president until that election.”
Blatter’s resignation might come as a surprise to some people because the 79-years-old was extremely confident on the day of his reelection. After he defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, Blatter declared himself as the “president of everbody.”
"For the next four years I will be in command of this boat called FIFA. We will bring it back off shore.
“It is my congress, I have the right to make the closing remarks. This is a very important congress. You see I am in a good mood. I was a little bit nervous today, but now I am the president of everybody, I am the president of the whole FIFA,” he said.
Since then, it seems like the FBI’s astronomical pressure on him has finally demolished his stronghold of FIFA. The American agency has helped the United States Department of Justice indict 14 people -- nine football officials and five sports-marketing executives -- who face charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering. And according to ABC News, the FBI believes that they can implicate Blatter.
An FBI source told ABC News: “Now that people are going to want to save themselves, there’s probably a race to see who will flip on (Blatter) first. We may not be able to collapse the whole organization but maybe you don’t need to.”
As the FBI continues its investigation, Blatter will remain in office for the next few months. According to ESPN, “Domenico Scala, the chairman of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee, said an election would be held sometime between December 2015 and March 2016, during which time FIFA will vet candidates."
Michel Platini, UEFA’s president, is in the best position to be become the next FIFA president. The French great has publicly criticized Blatter and encouraged him to step down before the election.
“While he remains in place, whether he likes it or not, and whether it is fair or not, Fifa will lack credibility and its image will be tarnished, and so it will lack authority,” Platini said.
Another man that has a very good chance of replacing Blatter is the man he defeated two days ago, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein.
While declining to say whether or not he would run again, he told CNN: "I think we have to look to the future. I am at the disposal of all the national associations who want a change, including all of those who were afraid to make a change.''