FIFA president Sepp Blatter has claimed that "you can't ask everybody to behave ethically just like that" during his presidential address to Congress.
Football's world governing body is in crisis after seven officials were arrested in Zurich on Wednesday on suspicion of bribery, money laundering and racketeering.
It is alleged that more than $100m (£65m) was accepted in bribes from the 1990s to the present day, which has alerted the Swiss authorities to open an investigation into the allocation of the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Today, Blatter hopes to be re-elected for a fifth term and during his presidential address, the 79-year-old suggested that he cannot be solely responsible for the 'mistakes of others'.
In a lengthy speech, the Swiss said: "We are going through troubled times. It's not unprecedented but the events of Wednesday have cast a shadow across football. Lets try and lift that shadow and our spirits.
"We can't let the reputation of football and FIFA be dragged through the mud - we can't accept that because those that are behind this, those that are truly at fault, especially if they are convicted and found guilty, these are individuals and they are not the entire organisation. These are certain individuals who have lost sight of the fact that our game is based on discipline, respect, sportsmanship, and that it's a team sport. A team sport in which everybody needs to aim at the same goal.
"I'm willing to accept that the president of FIFA is responsible for everything, but I would like to share that responsibility with you, or at the very least with the executive committee. It's our government and I would like to share this responsibility with them and also with all of you.
"We are at a turning point and we need to pull together and move forward. We cannot constantly supervise everybody that's in football - we have 209 member associations [and] we have more than 300 million active participants. How can everybody be responsible? That's impossible."
While referring to the recent arrests, which took place two days before the election, Blatter said: "I'm not going to use the word coincidence but I do have a small question mark. You can't ask everybody to behave ethically just like that."
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein is hoping to successfully challenge Blatter for the presidency today.
Danielle Joynson
