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Fifa corruption inquiry: Sepp Blatter holds emergency talks Fifa corruption inquiry: Sepp Blatter 'refuses to resign'
(35 minutes later)
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has chaired an emergency meeting, as the football world governing body is mired in crisis over a growing corruption scandal. Fifa president Sepp Blatter says he has no intention of resigning despite calls for him to step down amid a corruption scandal, the BBC understands.
Mr Blatt is under pressure to step down and delay a vote due on Friday for the next Fifa president following the arrests of seven top Fifa officials. The head of Europe's football body Uefa, Michel Platini, asked Mr Blatter to quit after crisis talks in Zurich.
Many of its key sponsors have expressed concern, including Coca Cola and Visa, which also says it may review its ties. Key sponsors have expressed concern over twin corruption investigations by the US and Swiss authorities.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has backed calls for Mr Blatt to resign. Mr Blatter is under pressure to delay Friday's vote for the next Fifa president.
Mr Blatter was not among the 14 people charged by the US authorities on Wednesday with racketeering, fraud and money laundering. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has backed calls for Mr Blatter to resign.
He hoping to secure a fifth term at Fifa's congress in the Swiss city of Zurich on Thursday. Mr Blatter was not among the total of 14 people charged by the US authorities on Wednesday with racketeering, fraud and money laundering.
The European football body Uefa will decide whether to boycott Friday's vote for the next Fifa president. He is hoping to secure a fifth term at Fifa's congress in the Swiss city of Zurich on Friday.
The meeting on Thursday was Mr Blatter's first since the crisis began on Wednesday. Uefa chief Michel Platini was said to be among the confederation representatives in attendance. The European football body Uefa will decide later on Thursday whether to boycott Friday's vote for the next Fifa president.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has also called for a delay, saying Fifa's current image was disastrous.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, says he supports Mr Blatter's bid for a fifth term as Fifa president. He said the allegations against Fifa were a clear attempt by the US to stop his re-election.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) said in a statement that it opposed any delay to the vote. The BBC understands Uefa was the only confederation to put pressure on Mr Blatter to quit.
The meeting on Thursday was Mr Blatter's first since the crisis began on Wednesday.
Fifa has provisionally banned from football-related activity 11 of the 14 people charged.
Some of the officials are accused of receiving bribes to influence the outcome of bids to stage football tournaments, such as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2016 Copa America in the US. South African government officials have denied the claim.
In addition to Coca-Cola and Visa, major sponsors Adidas, McDonald's, Hyundai Motor, Budweiser and Gazprom are also pressing Fifa to take immediate action to restore its reputation.
Swiss prosecutors plan to interview 10 Fifa executive committee members as part of a separate investigation into the bidding process for the World Cup tournaments in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar.