Sepp Blatter resigns from FIFA: ‘I want to do only what is best’
The organization’s president said upon announcing his resignation that what matters to him in the end is that ‘football is the winner.’
“I cherish FIFA more than anything, and I want to do only what is best for FIFA and for football,” Blatter said at a press conference just four days after being re-elected. “I felt compelled to stand for re-election, as I believed that this was the best thing for the organization. That election is over, but FIFA’s challenges are not. FIFA needs a profound overhaul.”
Blatter announced he will stay on as the organization’s president until the next election, and he urged the committee to organize an “Extraordinary Congress” to elect his successor prior to the next FIFA Congress on May 13, 2016. He has been the organization’s president for 17 years.
His comments emphasized not only a love for the sport, but also a desire to set things straight in FIFA’s continuing crisis.
“I shall be able to focus on driving far-reaching, fundamental reforms that transcend our previous efforts,” Blatter said. He spoke of administrative reforms that “are not enough” and said FIFA needs “deep-rooted structural change,” including integrity checks for committee members on a larger scale and term limits for all elected officials.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
