FIFA's audit chief urges Blatter to stand by resignation decision

Sepp Blatter has been asked to stand by his decision to step down as president of FIFA, the world football's governing body.

The 79-year-old, who was re-elected FIFA president at the body's meeting in Zurich, had earlier announced that he would step down amidst the organisation's corruption crisis.

However, Blatter insisted on Thursday that he had not resigned from his position and was believed to be considering re-election.

Domenico Scala, the independent chairman of FIFA's audit and compliance committee, said that the times of flirting with power are definitely gone, the BBC reported.

Scala also suggested that Blatter along with all concerned should endorse in the interest of the reforms unequivocally the announced changing of the guard at the top of FIFA, the report added.

Meanwhile, Swiss authorities and the United States have launched separate criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Blatter had, four days after his re-election, said that he had decided to lay down his mandate at an extraordinary elective congress, but insisted that he would continue to exercise his functions as president until the re- election.