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Report: Sepp Blatter reconsidering resignation as FIFA president

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is reportedly reconsidering his resignation.
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FIFA president Sepp Blatter is reconsidering his resignation, reports Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag.

The paper cites an unnamed source close to Blatter—who announced he would resign on June 2 in the wake of the FIFA corruption scandal—as having “received messages of support from African and Asian football associations” asking him to reconsider stepping down.

FIFA did not comment on the report, but Domenico Scala, chairman of the organization’s audit and compliance committees issued a statement on Sunday saying a leadership change is an essential component of the pending FIFA overhaul.

“For me, the reforms are the central topic,” Scala said in the statement. “That is why I think it is clearly indispensable to follow through with the initiated process of leadership change as it has been announced.”

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FIFA has reportedly targeted a new presidental election for Dec. 16, but will finalize the date at meeting of its executive committee on July 20 in Zurich.

Blatter, 79, had been re-elected to an unprecedented fifth term as FIFA’s president a week before his surprise resignation. The election came days after the U.S. Justice Department indicted 14 FIFA officials and business partners on numerous corruption charges.

Blatter’s opponent in the election, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, was able to force a second ballot after Blatter fell seven votes short of the two-thirds majority required for first-ballot election. Husseein later conceded the election before the second ballot began.

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On Thursday, FIFA director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio resigned after more than four years with soccer’s governing body. His resignation was effective immediately, although he was expected to remain as a consultant for FIFA through the year.

[h/t ESPN FC]

- Mike Fiammetta