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 Despite FIFA statements that it was business as usual following
the arrest of seven senior figures on U.S. corruption charges,
Blatter kept out of sight on Thursday when he failed to show up at a
medical conference.
The embattled 79-year-old Swiss national, who rarely misses a
FIFA-related event and usually stops to speak to the media, was also
conspicuous by his absence on Wednesday when he failed to attend a
meeting of African soccer delegates, assembled in Zurich ahead of
Friday's FIFA Congress.
FIFA's chief medical officer, Michel D'Hooghe of Belgium, told the
medical officers: "President Blatter apologizes for not being able
to come today because of the turbulences you have heard about."
Those "turbulences" included a dawn raid by plainclothes police at
one of Zurich's most luxurious hotels on Wednesday leaving seven of
the most powerful figures in global football in custody overnight
and facing extradition to the United States on corruption charges.
The Swiss authorities also announced a criminal investigation into
the awarding of the next two World Cups being hosted in Russia in
2018 and Qatar in 2022.
 U.S. authorities said nine football officials and five sports media
and promotions executives faced corruption charges involving more
than $150 million in bribes.
Those actions have sparked the gravest crisis in FIFA's 111-year
history with confederations now seemingly in open warfare with one
another, just a day before Blatter is expected to be re-elected as
FIFA president for a fifth term on Friday.
Blatter, who has denied and survived allegations of his involvement
in corruption, said in a statement on Wednesday: "Let me be clear:
such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that
those who engage in it are put out of the game."
SPLITS IN WORLD GAME
As splits opened in the world game, UEFA, the European soccer
confederation, called for the FIFA Congress, and the election of a
new president, to be postponed amid suggestions it might boycott the
event, but the AFC, the Asian confederation, backed Blatter and said
the election should go ahead.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius disagreed, saying the vote
should be delayed in light of the corruption investigation.
"It would make sense to take a bit of time, see what is true and not
and then the authorities can adjudicate, but for now, it's giving a
disastrous image," he told France Inter radio.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said there was "something
deeply wrong at the heart of FIFA", while sports minister John
Whittingdale said "a change in leadership of FIFA is very badly
needed".
Britain has long been a critic of FIFA and unsuccessfully bid for
the 2018 World Cup which was awarded to Russia.
Swiss prosecutors have opened their own criminal inquiry into
allegations of mismanagement and money laundering related to the
awarding of rights to host that tournament and the 2022 event in
Qatar.
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Blatter did, however, receive endorsement from Russian President
Vladimir Putin, who accused the United States of meddling outside
its jurisdiction by arresting FIFA officials. "This is yet another
blatant attempt to extend its jurisdiction to other states," Putin
said, adding the arrests were a "clear attempt" to prevent Blatter's
re-election and he had Russia's backing.
The crisis has also shown up deep divisions in the French football
federation.
Michel Platini, the French president of UEFA and a firm opponent of
Blatter, is backing Blatter's presidential opponent Prince Ali bin
Al Hussein of Jordan if Friday's election goes ahead.
However, the president of the French Football Association, Noel Le
Graet, was backing Blatter as "he did not know Prince Ali".
Les Murray of Australia, a former FIFA Ethics committee member,
called for Blatter to resign as have the FA chairmen of a number of
leading European countries including England and Germany.
Meanwhile FIFA's blue-chip sponsors, many of whom have solidly
backed FIFA despite nearly 20 years of bribery and corruption
allegations, appeared to be growing unexpectedly concerned at events
unfolding in Zurich.
In an unusually strongly worded statement, Visa Inc said: "It is
important that FIFA makes changes now, so that the focus remain on
these going forward. Should FIFA fail to do so, we have informed
them that we will reassess our sponsorship."
German sportswear company Adidas said FIFA should do more to
establish transparent compliance standards. Anheuser-Busch InBev,
whose Budweiser brand is a sponsor of the 2018 World Cup, said it
was closely monitoring developments at FIFA.
Coca-Cola Co, another FIFA sponsor, said the charges had "tarnished
the mission and ideals of the FIFA World Cup and we have repeatedly
expressed our concerns about these serious allegations".
(Reporting by Mike Collett; Writing by Giles Elgood, editing by
Peter Millership)
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