FIFA president Sepp Blatter has revealed that pressure from the authorities, politics and the media led to his decision to stand down from his role.
On June 2, Blatter announced plans to relinquish his presidency after 14 people were arrested by the US and Swiss authorities on allegations of corruption.
Today, the world governing body confirmed that a new president will be elected in Zurich at an extraordinary elective congress on February 26.
This afternoon, Blatter addressed the media for the first time since announcing plans to step down. He said: "In football, you never know where there are limits in football. This gives me the impression that I am still alive. I got the impression after May 27 that the waves of the tsunami had taken me away - not at all, I'm still here.
"What has happened then? It is something special, but it has been in certain situations that having been re-elected president, the pressure which came to FIFA - it was not only the pressure of the authorities, it was also the pressure of political interference and the media [that made me step down]. Having said that, I had to do something very special and I did it, in footballing terms, I kicked the ball out of the field to stop something - this is what I did in June 2.
"I'm still the elected president so when I said this meeting is very important, that's true because today, we have taken decisions - we have taken important decisions and one of these is that we have proved the date of the elective congress that shall be organised in Zurich. There, a new president will be elected - naturally I'm keen to know who it will be, but I have also to say that today that we have done something else. Today, we have taken a resolution that we want to go again into a reform process. There's still a few points that we've not dealt with."
Before Blatter spoke to the press, comedian Simon Brodkin interrupted proceedings to throw fake money at the president.
Danielle Joynson
