Standing ovation for Blatter at FIFA headquarters

 

Zurich, June 4  About 400 FIFA staff gave outgoing president Sepp Blatter a standing ovation after the 79-year-old Swiss announced he would resign, a media report said on Thursday.

A FIFA spokesman said Blatter was emotional when his staff applauded him for several minutes on Wednesday, a day after he announced his resignation, Xinhua news agency reported.

The storm started to hit the world soccer body on May 27 when Swiss police arrested seven soccer officials from a Zurich hotel on the eve of FIFA's annual congress. 

They were among 14 sports and marketing officials indicted by the US authorities on corruption charges.

Blatter, who won a fifth term in an election on May 29, surprised the world by announcing resignation four days later.

"While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA, I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football -- the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe and love football," he told a press conference on June 2.