The president of FIFA, Joseph Blatter, believes that the new elections for the governing body of world football will not take place until the beginning of 2016, as it is difficult to fit them into the calendar in the final stretch of 2015.
"It's complicated because between December 10th and 20th, the Club World Cup will be played in Japan," said the Swiss in an interview published today in the newspaper "Walliser Bote" from his country.
"A realistic date for the congress is at the beginning of 2016," Blatter, 79 years old, opined.
Until now, December 16th seemed to be the chosen date for the extraordinary congress in which the new president of FIFA will be elected.
Blatter was chosen on May 29th for a fifth term, but four days later he resigned, harassed by a new corruption scandal within FIFA. Seven senior officials of the organization, including two vice-presidents, had been arrested in Zurich just before the elections.
The Swiss, however, insisted in his interview with "Walliser Bote" that he has not yet resigned from FIFA.
"It was not a resignation. I offered my mandate as president of FIFA (at an extraordinary congress)," explained Blatter.
"It was the only option to remove pressure from sponsors, FIFA, and my employees," he added.