FIFA President Resigns

By Sergio Gonzalez | CBSSports.com Staff

FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced Tuesday that he will step down as president, pending what he called an extraordinary congress he will summon to elect his successor.

“My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody,” said Blatter. “I will organize an extraordinary congress for a replacement for me as president. 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.”

Blatter, who has held the post for 17 years and was re-elected to a fifth term on Friday, said that he plans to stay on in an advisory role. His re-election came just two days after arrests were made in Zurich, where the 65th FIFA Congress was being held, in relation to indictments brought forth by the United States Department of Justice.

“[The] interests of FIFA are very dear to me and this is why I have taken this decision,” said Blatter.

On Wednesday, a letter was released that implied that FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, Blatter’s second in command, was involved in a questionable transfer of $10 million after FIFA denied he or Blatter had known anything about the transaction.

Blatter had been defiant

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