Blatter rejects UEFA call to quit as FIFA boss because ‘it’s too late to do so’

The head of UEFA, Michel Platini, has confirmed that he asked Sepp Blatter to resign as FIFA president on Thursday - but he refused to do so. Speaking at a press conference in Zurich, Platini confirmed that he had urged the embattled leader to step down because he was giving FIFA a “terrible image”. However, Blatter said it was “too late” to do so, as the FIFA Congress was due to begin. UEFA boss Platini, who represents European football associations, told reporters “people have had enough” - and appealed for other confederations to vote for Blatter’s only opponent, Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan, in the FIFA presidential election on Friday.

Tomorrow, when it comes to the election of the president, a very, very, very big number of European associations will vote for Prince Ali.

Michel Platini

The executive claimed that he had wanted to ask Blatter for his resignation “man to man, face to face”, during a crisis meeting with football leaders in Zurich. However, the FIFA president invited him to air his grievances in front of other confederation leaders. "I was very clear, I told him that I would have liked to have told him this among the two of us,“ Platini added. The emergency talks, where UEFA called for Mr Blatter’s resignation, came as Swiss police confirmed they will be questioning 10 FIFA executives over the decision to award World Cups to Russia and Qatar, and sponsors expressed serious concerns over a corruption scandal engulfing the governing body.

There have been too many scandals that have shaken up the world of football, especially FIFA - and FIFA doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. It’s the mother of football, and you cannot attack the mother of football this way.

Michel Platini

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