The head of FIFA’s audit and compliance unit Domenico Scala insists change at the top of world football’s governing body will be made following reports Sepp Blatter might go back on his decision to resign.
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Scala’s statement came after Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag cited an anonymous source close to Blatter as saying he had not ruled out the prospect of going back on his decision to resign after receiving messages of support from Asian and African federations.
“For me, the reforms are the central topic,” wrote Scala in a statement. “That is why I think it is clearly indispensable to follow through with the initiated process of president’s change as it has been announced.”
On Thursday, the European Parliament called on Blatter to step down immediately and allow for an interim leader to launch reforms in the organisation.
Row at #FIFA: #Blatter wants to pull a Farage & stay president, but chief auditor Domenico Scala says resignation “clearly indispensable”
— Bojan Pancevski (@bopanc) June 14, 2015
But FIFA have repeated that the 79-year-old Swiss will continue in office until a successor is designated, probably by the end of the year.
An extraordinary meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee will take place in Zurich on July 20, when a date will be fixed for the congress at which Blatter’s successor will be elected. It is likely to take place between December this year and March 2016, according to the audit unit that supervises the electoral procedure.
Blatter was re-elected late last month in Zurich for a fifth term as president, only three days after 14 FIFA officials and partners were charged as part of a corruption investigation led by US authorities. But four days after that he announced his resignation.
According to Swiss media, Blatter has been in a relaxed mood despite the scandal which has engulfed the body he has headed since 1998.
One report claimed that he is even pondering hiring top lawyer Lorenz Erni, who was the man who helped film director Roman Polanski avoid extradition to the United States in 2009/2010.
In another twist last night, the BBC quoted a “source close to Blatter” as saying the Swiss could make a bid to stay on if no suitable alternative candidate emerges.
“Everything is open”, said the source who added that Blatter will hold meetings over the coming days to gauge whether or not he still retains enough support.
