FIFA: Michel Platini and Thomas Bach welcome the "courageous" and "respectable" decision of Blatter

"It was a difficult decision, a courageous decision and the right decision," said Michel Platini, the president of UEFA, following the announcement of the resignation of Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA on 02/06/2015.

"We highly respect this decision of President Blatter to step down and to initiate the necessary reforms -- and to make way for a new leadership of FIFA to drive these changes," said Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC (Joseph Blatter is a member of the IOC), on 06/02/2015.

"I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA President until that election," announced Joseph Blatter on 02/06/2015, at the headquarters of the international federation in Zurich (SUI), four days after being re-elected president for the 2015-2019 period.

• Joseph Blatter, 79 years old, was re-elected to the presidency on 29/05/2015, succeeded the Brazilian Joao Havelange on 08/06/1998. He was re-elected four times in 2002, 2007, 2011 and also 2015.

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