European Parliament set to call on FIFA's Sepp Blatter to go now

Brussels: The European Parliament on Thursday is expected to call on FIFA President Sepp Blatter to step down immediately and will say urgent reforms can only start once he has left the organisation.

Blatter tendered his resignation last week as head of the football world governing body, but said he wanted to remain in office until his successor was elected.

A copy of the European Parliament`s cross-party motion seen by Reuters calls on FIFA "to select, in a transparent and inclusive way, an appropriate interim leader to replace Joseph (Sepp) Blatter forthwith".

It also expresses serious concern that "the credibility of FIFA, as world football`s governing body, and the urgent reforms required, cannot begin in earnest until a new leadership is appointed, which under FIFA regulations might not happen for a further nine months".

Politicians debated the issue on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday`s vote on the resolution.

Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, told the debate FIFA was no longer fit to run international football and he supported the European Parliament`s position.

"Small change will not be enough, but big change might not be enough either," Navracsics said. "FIFA needs a fresh start."

Politicians from across the political divide said Blatter must go now.

"FIFA is a sick organisation and its sickness is due to those who have governed it," said Santiago Fisas Ayxela, a Spanish politician from the European Parliament`s main centre-right group the European People`s Party.

Indrek Tarand, an Estonian member of the Green alliance in the European Parliament, said that as part of sweeping reforms and a review of previous FIFA decisions Russia should no longer host the 2018 World Cup.

Instead, he said, Britain could host it as what might be one of its last events as a member of the European Union if a promised referendum on membership delivers a no vote. 

British Member of the European Parliament Neena Gill from the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats said she had "little confidence" that any reforms in FIFA would actually happen and it was up to the European Commission to ensure FIFA complied with regulatory rules.