FIFA sponsor Adidas refuses to join Blatter's resignation chorus

The German maker of sportswear and equipment and a top FIFA sponsor, Adidas has declined to follow US companies in demanding Sepp Blatter's immediate resignation from the President post.

The company, however, insisted that the required changes in the interest of football must be made, Sport24 reported.

They added that the reform process should continue to work transparently and quickly.

In the wake of criminal proceedings launched last week against Blatter, US-based sponsors such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Visa and Budweiser called on the 79-year-old to step down.

According to the sponsors, Blatter should immediately resign for the benefit of the game and also to ensure that a credible and sustainable reform process could take place in the wake of the corruption scandal that has plunged world football into an unprecedented crisis.

But, Blatter's New York attorney Richard Cullen said that the Swiss would not resign as he believes firmly that his leaving office now would neither be in the best interest of FIFA nor would it advance the process of reform.

Blatter, who was re-elected for a fifth term in May, has insisted that he will remain in the post until the election of his successor in February next year.

FIFA's reputation has been severely tarnished after 14 sports marketing executives and football officials, including several from Zurich-based FIFA, were indicted by the United States in late May over corruption charges.