FIFA President resigns

• Posted on June 3, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced his resignation on Tuesday amid a  $100million corruption scandal that has rocked the world football governing body in the past few days.

Seven soccer officials were arrested in Zurich last week Wednesday and detained pending extradition to the United States over suspected corruption at soccer’s governing body.

Among those arrested was FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb.

The scandal notwithstanding, Blatter was re-elected FIFA president for a fifth term over the weekend, two days after the corruption crisis erupted.

Speaking at a news conference in Zurich, Blatter said, “FIFA needs profound restructuring. Although members have given me the new mandate, this mandate does not seem to be supported by everyone.

“We will hold an extraordinary conference as soon as possible. A new president will be elected.”

Domenico Scala, the chairman of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee, said an election would be held sometime between December 2015 and March 2016.

When news about the corruption scandal and arrests broke, Blatter denied responsibility. He said although many held him “ultimately responsible” for the football community, he could “not monitor everyone all of the time.”

Blatter said the events of the week had “cast a long shadow over football.”

He noted, “The actions of individuals bring shame and humiliation on football and demand action and change from us all.

“We cannot allow the reputation of football to be dragged through the mud and it has to stop here, now.

“We must earn trust back through the decisions we make,” he said.

The corruption scandal assumed an international relations dimension, with most heads of state asking Blatter to resign.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron among other top European nations, urged Mr Blatter to resign but Russian President Vladimir Putin backed him for a fifth term.

The head of European football’s governing body UEFA, Michel Platini, later said that if Mr Blatter were re-elected, UEFA might have to discuss its relations with FIFA.

In Ghana, Deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, said the scandal showed that it was time for the GFA also to be investigated.

“It just tells us the whole world is now getting sick and tired of this whole group of people (current football administrators),” Koku Anyidoho said.