Headlines
Blatter says 'did not resign' as FIFA president
Zurich, June 26
World football's long-time administrator Sepp Blatter has repotedly said he has not resigned as FIFA president.
Blatter
apparently stepped down from the post on June 2 just days after getting
re-elected for a fifth four-year term under pressure from various
quarters following the outbreak of a global corruption scandal within
the world football's governing body.
"I did not resign. I put
myself and my office in the hands of the FIFA congress," the BBC quoted
the Swiss newspaper Blick as saying on Friday.
Blatter reportedly
said this at a party at FIFA museum recently and is believed to be
preparing to stand for re-election as president.
"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," he said in his speech on June 2.
"Therefore,
I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective
congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA president
until that election."
While the world viewed the speech as his farewell address, he did not use the words "resign" or "resignation".
He
has since reportedly said he has not resigned but simply laid his
presidential duties to FIFA's Congress, which will hold an election to
determine the next president on December.
Nine FIFA officials
among 14 people are indicted by the United States authorities for
financial wrongdoing in a corruption scandal, which is also
investigating the role of Blatter.
Swiss authorities have also
begun an investigation into FIFA's bidding process to award the hosting
rights of 2018 and 2022 World Cup to Russia and Qatar, respectively.