FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Corruption-embattled FIFA could decide on incumbent president Sepp Blatter’s successor in an emergency meeting on December 16.
Blatter’s controversial 17-year reign came to a tipping point with the outbreak of the corruption scandal that saw seven FIFA officials arrested and 14 people indicted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), forcing the Swiss to resign from his post but continuing till a successor is chosen by the world football governing body’s executive committee.
Swiss authorities have also begun a criminal investigation regarding the legality of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights, won by Russia and Qatar, respectively.
Blatter quit days after being re-elected for a fifth four-year term.
Under global pressure for undergoing wholesale changes, FIFA’s probable date for holding an emergency meeting has emerged as December 16, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
It said representatives from all 209 member associations will be invited to its headquarters here to vote in a new presidential election.
Several names have emerged as potential successor for Blatter, with Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who lost out to Blatter in last month’s election, turning out to be the frontrunner.
Businessman Chung Mong-joon, scion of South Korea’s automobile company Hyundai is also believed to be in the running.
The BBC reports that a final decision on the presidential election date is likely to be made in July during FIFA’s extraordinary meeting of its executive committee.
