Sepp Blatter receives ovation at FIFA headquarters, successor election to be in Zurich

Zurich: FIFA president Sepp Blatter received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes at the world football governing body`s headquarters in Zurich on Wednesday.

The 79-year-old Swiss, who announced on Tuesday his intention to step down just four days after being re-elected for a fifth term, was said to be emotional while giving a speech to some 400 members of staff.

The election to find a successor to outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter will be held in Zurich, a spokesperson told AFP.

An extraordinary congress will need to be called, some time between December and March 2016, at which elections will be held to find a successor to Blatter, who announced Tuesday his intention to step down, just four days after winning a fifth term in office at the scandal-hit world football governing body.

According to FIFA statutes, 79-year-old Blatter must call an extraordinary executive committee meeting to start proceedings to hold an extraordinary congress.