FIFA president Sepp Blatter defiant, despite Budweiser and Visa adding to calls for his resignation
Embattled Fifa president Sepp Blatter is adamant he’ll remain in office until his term is due to expire next year, this is despite Budweiser and Visa joining commercial partners of the sports body calling for his immediate exit.
Fifa is under greater pressure than ever before to jettison its disgraced president after several of its major financial backers issued separate statements calling for Blatter’s immediate exit, including Budweiser, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa, over the course of the past 24 hours.
The soft drinks giant, which has sponsored every Fifa World Cup tournament since 1950, was the first to issue such a call, and subsequent similar statements published soon afterwards from the other brands suggest this is a coordinated initiative.
Budweiser, which has a sponsorship deal dating back to 1986, and currently set to run until 2022, followed suit, referencing the ongoing corruption investigation at the governing body of the world game.
Its statement read: “It would be appropriate for Mr. Blatter to step down as we believe his continued presence to be an obstacle in the reform process.”
Visa’s statement similarly read: “It would be appropriate for Mr. Blatter to step down as we believe his continued presence to be an obstacle in the reform process.”
However, the calls have fallen upon deaf ears within the Blatter camp, with a spokesman for the bureaucrat issuing a statement claiming that he “respectfully disagrees”.
It went on to say: “He believes firmly that his leaving office now would not be in the best interest of FIFA nor would it advance the process of reform and therefore, he will not resign.”
Blatter faces suspension from Fifa under ethical grounds, and also faces potential criminal prosecution under allegations of inappropriate financial dealing which have enveloped football’s governing body, with particular areas of focus centering on Russia, and Qatar being granted the hosting rights to the World Cup Finals tournaments in 2018, and 2022.