- Title: SOCCER-FIFA/JORDAN-REAX Jordan paper sports editor welcomes Blatter's departure
- Date: 2nd June 2015
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (JUNE 2, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF AL RAI NEWSPAPER BUILDING VARIOUS OF THE HEAD OF AL RAI SPORTS DEPARTMENT, AMJAD MAJALI, WORKING AT DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF AL RAI NEWSPAPER SPORTS DEPARTMENT, AMJAD MAJALI, SAYING: "The timing I think is surprising, but the step is expected for anyone who is following the development of the investigation process
- Embargoed: 17th June 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Jordan
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVABPXYOGZMIGK3RGGTBIXKPT6RA
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Jordanian soccer experts have welcome the decision made by Sepp Blatter to resign as FIFA president on Tuesday (June 2), and they are expecting a brighter future for the game.
Blatter 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.
Amjad Majali, the head of sports at Jordan's daily newspaper al Rai, said Blatter was forced to resign because of the plethora of corruption allegations that FIFA is facing.
"The timing I think is surprising, but the step is expected for anyone who is following the development of the investigation process and the corruption that has been plaguing FIFA for years. This has all accelerated in the past few days during the recent FIFA elections and for what was issued on Tuesday morning in accusing the most important assistant of Blatter; Jerome Valcke who is the Secretary General of FIFA. I think all these issues pushed Blatter to resign."
Issa Turk, who is the coach of Al-Jazeera - a soccer club based in Amman, said he hopes Prince Ali bin Al Hussein will run in the presidential elections again.
"His highness likes sports and I think it is the demand of all sports people and I hope that Prince Ali will run in the election again because a change is vitally needed at FIFA. His programme has transparency and justice (envisaging) a (bright) future for football," he said.
Blatter had been re-elected after his only rival, Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, withdrew after gaining 73 votes to Blatter's 133 in the first round of voting.
Blatter, 79, announced the decision at a hastily arranged news conference in Zurich, six days after the FBI raided a hotel in Zurich and arrested several FIFA officials and just four days after he was re-elected to a fifth term as president. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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