An "emergency meeting" is likely to be held in Zurich on Dec. 16 to vote on a successor to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, according to Richard Conway of the BBC. Reps from all 209 member associations "will be invited ... to vote in a new presidential election." A final decision on the date "is not expected to be made until July, when FIFA will hold an extraordinary meeting" of its exec committee. However, it is believed that "holding an emergency congress in mid-December is Blatter's preferred option." That would give him six months to "devise and implement the reforms he has promised before leaving the organisation he has been a part of for more than 40 years." FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Chair Domenico Scala last week indicated that a vote "to replace Blatter would happen" between December and March (BBC, 6/10).
BIDDING ON '26 WORLD CUP DELAYED: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Jake Rudnitsky reports FIFA amid the ongoing corruption investigation has "delayed the bidding process to host" the '26 World Cup. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke this morning said, "This is nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being." FIFA confirmed the delay in a statement, saying that the bidding process "will be discussed by its executive committee at a later date." Valcke said that FIFA "needs reform to avoid an image of a corrupt organization." He added that the bid process for the '26 World Cup "was expected to begin soon, with the vote scheduled" for '17. Rudnitsky notes the U.S., Canada and Mexico are "expected to compete to hold the tournament" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/10). Meanwhile, the PA reports FIFA is "pushing ahead with preparations" for the '18 World Cup in Russia, and Valcke today "attended a meeting of the organisers in the city of Samara in the Volga region" (PA, 6/10). Russian Sports Minister and FIFA exec committee member Vitaly Mutko said that he "saw no threat to Moscow's successful bid" despite investigations into the bidding process involving his country and Qatar. Both Mutko and Valcke reiterated that it "had been in line with the rules" (REUTERS, 6/10).
