World football governing body FIFA has reportedly held secret talks with Sepp Blatter over his future as president of the organisation.
The Swiss has grown under increasing pressure in recent times, with many calling for his head following American lawyer Michael Garcia's resignation from the ethics committee last week.
That followed on the back of the damning news that UEFA president Michel Platini would not back Blatter in next year's FIFA presidential elections, which the 78-year-old intends to run for.
BBC Sport claims that talks between Blatter and the governing body's chiefs have been ongoing since October 2013, while it has also emerged that a number of potential challengers are now weighing up their candidacy options in the wake of recent events.
Presidential candidates have five weeks to formally declare their interest in running for the top job, which Blatter has held since 1998.
Daniel Lewis
