Editing Sepp Blatter (section)

===2015 FIFA presidential election, controversy and resignation ===
{{Further|2015 FIFA corruption case}}
[[File:FIFA President Sepp Blatter and AFC President Salman Al-Khalifa with FFIIR President Ali Kafashian.jpg|thumb|Blatter in a press conference with Presidents of [[Asian Football Confederation]] [[Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa]] and [[Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran]] [[Ali Kafashian]] in [[Tehran]]]]
In 2015, elections were scheduled for the FIFA presidency, in which Blatter was again the incumbent candidate, running for a fifth consecutive term. [[Prince Ali bin Hussein]] was his opponent in the election.

The vote took place at the [[65th FIFA Congress]] in Zürich on 29 May 2015. Neither party received the necessary two-thirds majority of votes from the first round with Blatter receiving 133 to Prince Ali's 73. According to FIFA rules, a second round should have been held for the two candidates, with a simple majority being sufficient for victory. However, before the second round of voting commenced, Prince Ali announced his withdrawal, handing Blatter victory by default.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/2471359/sepp-blatter-named-fifa-president-after-prince-ali-concedes|title=Sepp Blatter beats Prince Ali to be named FIFA president for 5th term|publisher=ESPN|date=29 May 2015|access-date=29 May 2015|archive-date=29 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529215906/http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/2471359/sepp-blatter-named-fifa-president-after-prince-ali-concedes|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 2 June 2015, FIFA abruptly called a press conference at their Zürich headquarters, where Blatter announced that he would resign from the post of FIFA president amid the [[2015 FIFA corruption case|ongoing corruption scandal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jun/02/fifa-calls-press-conference-amid-latest-corruption-claims-live|title=Sepp Blatter to resign as Fifa president – as it happened|date=3 June 2015|work=The Guardian|access-date=4 June 2015|archive-date=4 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604035149/http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jun/02/fifa-calls-press-conference-amid-latest-corruption-claims-live|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32982449|title=Sepp Blatter to resign as Fifa president amid corruption scandal|date=3 June 2015|work=BBC Sport|access-date=4 June 2015|archive-date=1 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101074808/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32982449|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the news conference he said: "My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody" and announced an extraordinary congress scheduled "as soon as possible" to elect his successor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32982449|title=Fifa: Sepp Blatter to quit as president amid corruption scandal|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2 June 2015|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-date=1 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101074808/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32982449|url-status=live}}</ref> Blatter announced that he would remain in office until his successor could be elected at the extraordinary congress, likely to be held some time between December 2015 and March 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/sports/soccer/sepp-blatter-to-resign-as-fifa-president.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0 |title=Sepp Blatter Decides to Resign as FIFA President in About-Face |work=The New York Times |date=2 June 2015 |access-date=3 March 2017 |archive-date=28 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128055523/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/sports/soccer/sepp-blatter-to-resign-as-fifa-president.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> He continued with the words: "While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA, I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football—the fans, the players, the clubs, the people who live, breathe, and love football as much as we all do at FIFA".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cnn.com/2015/06/02/football/fifa-sepp-blatter-presidency-successor-election/index.html|title=Sepp Blatter stepping down, says FIFA needs 'profound overhaul'|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=2 June 2015|access-date=2 June 2015|archive-date=2 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602171927/http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/02/football/fifa-sepp-blatter-presidency-successor-election/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Subsequently, on 26 June Blatter prompted speculation that he might be preparing to renege on this resignation, when he was quoted as saying that "I have not resigned, I put my mandate in the hands of an extraordinary congress". This seemed to contradict his comments from 2 June 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/26/sepp-blatter-i-did-not-resign-museum-waxwork?CMP=twt_gu|title=Sepp Blatter: 'I did not resign … I'm not ready for the museum or a waxwork'|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=26 June 2015|access-date=13 December 2016|archive-date=10 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510215251/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/26/sepp-blatter-i-did-not-resign-museum-waxwork?CMP=twt_gu|url-status=live}}</ref> He was further quoted as saying that he resigned "to take away the pressure from FIFA and my employees, including [pressure] from the sponsors". Reports speculated that it appears that Blatter will step down at the "extraordinary congress" though the situation remains vague.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/27/sepp-blatter-will-step-down-confirms-there-was-sponsor-pressure-for-him-to-leave/|title=Sepp Blatter will step down, confirms there was sponsor pressure for him to leave|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|date=26 June 2015|access-date=27 June 2015|archive-date=27 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627171559/http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/27/sepp-blatter-will-step-down-confirms-there-was-sponsor-pressure-for-him-to-leave/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 25 September, Swiss investigators announced that they were investigating Blatter in relation to payments made to UEFA president Michel Platini.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34363289|title=Fifa: Sepp Blatter faces Swiss criminal investigation|work=BBC News|date=25 September 2015|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=27 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627013145/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34363289|url-status=live}}</ref> While Blatter and Platini denied any impropriety around the payments,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/28/sepp-blatter-fifa-returns-to-work-michel-platini|title=Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini deny wrongdoing over £1.35m payment|author=David Conn|work=the Guardian|date=28 September 2015|access-date=13 December 2016|archive-date=10 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510214317/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/28/sepp-blatter-fifa-returns-to-work-michel-platini|url-status=live}}</ref> major FIFA [[Sponsor (commercial)|sponsors]] [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]], [[Visa Inc.]], [[McDonald's]], and [[Budweiser]] issued public statements requesting that he resign for the good of FIFA.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34430729|title=BBC Sport - Sepp Blatter: Coca-Cola among sponsors saying Fifa boss must go|work=BBC Sport|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005025040/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34430729|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 8 October 2015, he was suspended from FIFA for 90 days while investigations into payments made to Michel Platini were conducted. FIFA said in a statement: "The grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34474231|title=BBC Sport - Sepp Blatter: FIFA suspend Sepp Blatter|work=BBC Sport|access-date=13 February 2018|archive-date=13 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113234608/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34474231|url-status=live}}</ref> On 21 December, FIFA's ethics committee banned both Blatter and Platini from football for eight years.<ref name="guardian_dec21">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/21/sepp-blatter-michel-platini-banned-from-football-fifa | title=Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini banned from football for eight years by Fifa | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=21 December 2015 | access-date=21 December 2015 | author=Gibson, Owen | archive-date=21 December 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221091210/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/21/sepp-blatter-michel-platini-banned-from-football-fifa | url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2016, a FIFA appeals committee upheld the suspension but reduced it from eight years to six.<ref name=BBCSport/> Platini appealed to the [[European Court of Human Rights]], which rejected his appeal.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ronay|first=Barney|date=5 March 2020|title=Michel Platini's appeal over ban rejected by European court of human rights|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/05/michel-platini-appeal-over-ban-rejected-by-european-court-of-human-rights-football|access-date=13 September 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017201518/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/05/michel-platini-appeal-over-ban-rejected-by-european-court-of-human-rights-football|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 22 December 2020, FIFA filed a criminal complaint against Blatter relating to his role in the FIFA Museum project.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FIFA issues 'criminal mismanagement' complaint against ex-president Sepp Blatter|url=https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/december/fifa-issues-criminal-mismanagement-complaint-against-ex-president-sepp-blatter|access-date=22 December 2020|website=BT.com|language=en|archive-date=22 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222134427/https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/december/fifa-issues-criminal-mismanagement-complaint-against-ex-president-sepp-blatter|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 24 March 2021, he received a second ban for six years and was fined the amount of CHF 1,000,000 by the body's Ethics Committee after a probe into massive bonus payments.<ref name="fifa.com"/>

On 2 November 2021, Blatter was formally charged by Swiss authorities for fraud and falsifying documents in connection with the improper payments to Platini.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/blatter-platini-indicted-by-swiss-authorities-over-2-million-swiss-francs-2021-11-02|title=Blatter, Platini charged with fraud by Swiss authorities |website=Reuters |date=2 November 2021 |access-date=20 November 2021 }}</ref> Blatter and Platini were cleared of the charges eight months later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxscorenews.com/swiss-court-acquits-sepp-blatter-michel-platin-of-corruption-charges-p166815-199.htm |title=Swiss Court Acquits Sepp Blatter & Michel Platin Of Corruption Charges |website=Boxscore |date=8 July 2022 |access-date=8 July 2022 |archive-date=8 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708150858/https://boxscorenews.com/swiss-court-acquits-sepp-blatter-michel-platin-of-corruption-charges-p166815-199.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite the verdict having been appealed by Swiss federal prosecutors, Blatter and Platini were acquitted a second time in March 2025.<ref>{{ cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx298rz985eo |title=Ex-Fifa chief Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini cleared of corruption |author=Ruth Comerford |publisher=BBC |date=25 March 2025}}</ref>