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Blatter returns to 'work as usual' at Fifa HQ

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Blatter returns to 'work as usual' at Fifa HQ
Photo: Michael Buholzer/AFP

Sepp Blatter returned to his office in Zurich on Wednesday and Fifa's headquarters tried to put on an air of routine after the drama of the resignation of the longtime world football boss.

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"Everything continues as before," said a Fifa spokeswoman at the Zurich headquarters where dozens of television cameras waited at the entrance.

"The president is still president, until the election of his successor." 

But the spokeswoman said that "no media activities" were expected the day after Blatter stunned the world with his resignation declaration.
   
Blatter has said he will keeping working until an election is held and that is not expected until December at the earliest.
   
The 79-year-old Swiss official announced his resignation at the headquarters.

The press conference was arranged with such speed that barely a dozen journalists turned up.
   
Staff entering the ultra modern marble and glass complex, which includes a meditation room as well as gyms and football pitches, refused to discuss the turbulent events.
   
"It's tough," said one of the Zurich employees who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Fifa now has 1,400 staff around the world.
   
Some carried local newspapers such as 20 Minutes, whose front page headline said "Blatter abandons."
   
An AFP reporter was allowed in to the grounds at 8:00am.

Children from a local French school were preparing for a match in the Fifa pitch and nothing indicated a multi-billion dollar organization in the midst of a corruption crisis.
   
"It's just a coincidence that we are here today," said one teacher.
   
At 9.20am, a security official asked an AFP reporter to leave, giving an indication that maybe events are not so routine.

"It is a special day," the official said to justify the order to leave Fifa's calm complex.

Meanwhile, Uefa leader Michel Platini has called off a meeting planned for Saturday in Berlin to discuss the Fifa crisis because of the "uncertain and unpredictable" developments surrounding football's world body.
   
Platini said in a statement that he was following details on the corruption scandals with "great concern" following Blatter's resignation.
   
"Due to yesterday's announcement and the uncertain and unpredictable nature of the investigations, I have decided that it would be more appropriate to postpone the meeting that was announced last week, and which could have taken place in Berlin this weekend."
   
Platini, who is considered a candidate to take over from Blatter, did not give a new date for the meeting.
   
He had originally planned for Europe's 54 federations to meet in Berlin ahead of Saturday's Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus.
   
"Considering new information is revealed every day, I believe it is wiser to take time to assess the situation, so together we can take a position on this issue," Platini said.
   
"There will be other opportunities for us to meet in the coming weeks and by then hopefully more light will have been shed on this matter," he added.

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