FIFA president Sepp Blatter will resign just days after winning a fifth term in charge of football's world governing body.
An unscheduled press conference had been called by FIFA in Zurich this evening and that is where the announcement was made by the 79-year-old, who has been in charge since 1998.
It comes one week after the arrests of several FIFA officials in relation to bribery and corruption allegations.
Blatter was not personally implicated in any of the allegations but had faced numerous calls to step aside before and after his election victory over Jordanian Prince Ali.
He said an extraordinary congress is to be called to elect his successor as soon as possible.
(VALERIANO DI DOMENICO/AFP/Getty Images)
"I will continue to exercise my functions as Fifa President until that election. The next ordinary Fifa Congress will take place on 13 May 2016 in Mexico City. This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the Executive Committee to organise an Extraordinary Congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity. This will need to be done in line with Fifa’s statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present themselves and to campaign," he said, before continuing:
"I will organise extraordinary congress for a replacement for me as president. I will not stand. I am now free from the constraints of an election. I will be in a position to focus on profound reforms. For many years we have called for reforms. But these are not sufficient," he said.
Due to FIFA rules, the election may not take place until December.
US and Swiss authorities are both carrying out separate investigations into in the past week after a series of police raids that saw seven high-profile officials arrested, while several other officials have since been suspended.
On Off The Ball tonight, we were joined by football writer Philippe Auclair and BBC South American football expert Tim Vickery to debate the shockwaves that have been sent around football today.
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