Sepp Blatter, the embattled president of FIFA, endured more than 30 minutes of questions, many of which he deflected, during an often contentious news conference Monday in Zurich.

Blatter took questions from the international news media minutes after the conclusion of the world governing body’s executive committee meeting.

Blatter spoke one day after FIFA’s ethics committee suspended indefinitely Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, who sought to challenge Blatter, 75, for the FIFA presidency, and Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, a longtime power broker in the federation. On Monday, Bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy, clearing the way for Blatter to run unopposed for re-election on Wednesday.

Bin Hammam and Warner were accused of offering cash gifts of $40,000 apiece to about two dozen officials representing soccer federations in the Caribbean at a meeting held in Trinidad on May 10-11. In return, the officials were expected to vote for Bin Hammam as FIFA president. The matter was made public in accusations by the American Chuck Blazer, the second in command of Concacaf and a member of FIFA’s powerful executive committee.