Culture secretary confirms UK government will push for Fifa reform
The UK government has said that it will do all it can to bring about change in Fifa, following the "disappointing" re-elected of president Sepp Blatter.
Secretary of state for culture, media and sport, John Whittingdale, echoed Prime Minister David Cameron's calls for Blatter to step down.
Amid arrests of senior Fifa officials over corruption allegations, he dubbed Blatter's reputation "utterly destroyed".
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Responding to an urgent question in Parliament, Whittingdale said:
Fifa's support for its discredited president was incredibly disappointing. But it will not have surprised the footballing public who have become increasingly cynical as the allegations of misconduct and malfeasance have piled up.
He criticised Fifa's voting system, saying it "support[ed] the incumbent", while adding that "what remained of Sepp Blatter's credibility has been utterly destroyed".
More than 70 national associations voted against Blatter in the presidency elections, a sign, said Whittingdale, showing that "momentum is building against him".
Blatter has refused to step down as Fifa president despite appeals for him to do so. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing himself, despite senior officials in the organisation being arrested.