Blatter rocks world of football by quitting Fifa amid scandal

Sepp Blatter has rocked the world of soccer by unexpectedly quitting as Fifa president in the face of a corruption investigation that has plunged the game's governing body into the worst crisis in its history.

Blatter, 79, announced the decision at a hastily arranged news conference in Zurich on Tuesday, six days after police raided a hotel in the city and arrested several Fifa officials, and just four days after he was re-elected to a fifth term as president.

Blatter said an election to choose a new Fifa president would be held as soon as possible.

"Fifa needs profound restructuring," he said.

"I have thoroughly considered my presidency and thought about my presidency and the last 40 years of my life," Blatter, speaking in French, told the news conference that had been delayed by 45 minutes.

"These years were closely related to Fifa and this wonderful sport of football. I appreciate and love Fifa more than anything else and only want to do the best for football and Fifa and our institution.

"I decided to stand again to be elected because I was convinced it was the best option for football.

"Although the members of Fifa gave me a new mandate, this mandate does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world.

"This is why I will call an extraordinary congress to be held as soon as possible, for a new president to be elected to follow me."​

Fifa, ruled over by Blatter since 1998, was rocked this week by the announcement of a US investigation into alleged widespread financial wrongdoing stretching back for years.

Swiss authorities mounted their own criminal probe into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively.

The US Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Blatter initially attempted to bat away the furore, relying on his network of friends to hold onto power at Fifa, which he joined in 1975.

While Blatter was not mentioned in either the US or Swiss investigations, there were widespread calls for him to quit, mostly from Western nations.

Some major sponsors also expressed misgivings about the impact of the scandal.

The investigation however closed in on Blatter on Tuesday, when Fifa was forced to deny that his right-hand man, Secretary-General Jerome Valcke, was implicated in a $10 million payment that lies at the heart of the US case.

But at the same time, a letter addressed to Valcke was published outlining the transaction.

Valcke, who has been secretary-general since 2007 and is seen as one of the most powerful men in world sport, had no role in the payments, which were authorised by the chairman of Fifa's Finance Committee, Fifa said in an earlier statement.

The chairman of the committee at the time of the payments was Argentina's Julio Grondona, who died last year.

A person familiar with the matter said on Monday that US prosecutors believe Valcke made the $10 million bank transactions, which are central to a US bribery investigation against Fifa.