Sepp Blatter: European Parliament says time to go is now

A date for FIFA's new presidential election will be set on July 20.

A spokesman for football's governing body confirmed its executive committee will meet next month to finalise the timetable for an extraordinary electoral congress to decide Sepp Blatter's successor.

The election is still scheduled to happen between December and February, and Blatter on Thursday rejected the European Parliament's call for him to stand down immediately.

The 79-year-old tendered his resignation on June 2 despite winning a historic fifth term as president, but he has vowed to stay on and press ahead with reforms as two separate criminal investigations into alleged FIFA corruption remain ongoing.

A FIFA spokesman expressed surprise at the European Parliament's resolution, adding: "The FIFA president has already decided to bring an end to his mandate during an extraordinary electoral congress."

And a later bulletin from FIFA headquarters revealed a date for the congress would be set on July 20.

In the resolution, approved by the European Parliament, legislators welcomed Blatter's resignation that came just four days after he was re-elected as head of FIFA.

But it expressed serious concern "that the credibility of FIFA, as world football's governing body, and the urgent reforms required, cannot begin in earnest until a new leadership is appointed".

Since that may not happen for another nine months under FIFA rules, the draft "therefore calls on FIFA to select, in a transparent and inclusive way, an appropriate interim leader to replace Joseph Blatter forthwith," it added.

Football's governing body was plunged into a crisis at the end of May when 14 current or former FIFA officials and sports marketing executives were charged in Zurich, Switzerland, as part of a US investigation into alleged corruption.

Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch MP has echoed calls for Sepp Blatter to step down from FIFA. Sports Minister, Tracey Crouch MP has echoed calls for Sepp Blatter to step down from FIFA.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch echoed the European Union's call and she told Sky Sports News HQ: "Myself, the Secretary Of State and even the Prime Minister have said we think he should have gone straightaway.

"Certainly I'll be discussing this issue when I meet with my EU counterparts at a forthcoming meeting in Luxembourg. So I think it's quite right that the EU Parliament has come out and said the same thing."

Neena Gill, Labour MEP for the West Midlands, was present at the vote on Thursday morning, and said the mood towards FIFA was one of “peak disappointment”.

She told Sky Sports News HQ: “I think many were very angry that actually Blatter said he was resigning but actually he hasn’t resigned and he’s going to be there for another seven months until the end of December.

“Really the whole point of the vote was to put the pressure on within the EU but also on FIFA to say they are subject to European laws and regulations and they need to do something and they cannot just continue as if nothing has happened.”

Gill said that even though the vote was not legally binding, it would be impossible for Blatter and FIFA executive committee members to brush it off easily.

She said: “FIFA is subject to EU regulation so it can’t afford to ignore the MEPs who represent half a billion citizens.

“I think it puts up the pressure and it is really important that we get Blatter out and that we have somebody who is there in the interim because if he has influence in picking a successor you can’t really expect that there is going to be much reform and we need fundamental reform at FIFA.

“It needs a strong new leader who will work with the EU and American authorities to flush out corruption from every level of the organisation.

“This man has got to go; it is not acceptable that he chooses the next leader. It has got to be somebody new, somebody fresh-faced and this is the only way we can mount up the pressure and I believe, the public opinion I’ve heard, is that everybody wants Sepp Blatter to move on. He’s done enough damage to the game of football.”

In an unrelated move, FIFA has announced that Director of Communications & Public Affairs, Walter De Gregorio, will leave his role after joining in September 2011, but that he will continue on a consultancy basis until the end of the year.

“Walter has worked incredibly hard for the past four years and we are immensely grateful for all he has done. I am glad we will be able to continue to draw on his expertise until the end of the year”, said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.

The announcement came two days after De Gregorio appeared on a Swiss television chat show hosted by Roger Schawinski and told a self-deprecating joke about FIFA.

Right at the end of the programme, Schawinski asked De Gregorio to tell his favourite joke. De Gregorio said: "The FIFA president, secretary general and media director are sitting in a car. Who's driving. Answer? The police."

FIFA, however, insists his departure is not connected with this joke.