David Gill urges Sepp Blatter to stand down as FIFA president

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 10 June 2014

UEFA vice president David Gill calls on Sepp Blatter to step down from his role as president of FIFA next year amid fresh allegations of corruption.

UEFA vice president David Gill has urged FIFA president Sepp Blatter to stand down when his current term ends next year.

FIFA has been rocked by fresh allegations of corruption in recent weeks, with The Sunday Times claiming that Qatar bought votes to ensure that they would be awarded the 2022 World Cup.

Blatter suggested that the allegations were born of "discrimination and racism", comments that prompted former Manchester United chief executive Gill to call on football's governing body to "move on".

"Personally [I think he should step down], I think we need to move on. I think we need a full, frank and open debate about what FIFA needs going forward," Gill told reporters after a meeting of UEFA federations today.

"The statement made by Mr Blatter yesterday was from our point of view totally incorrect.

"This was about the issue being raised quite rightly in the British media which should be addressed by the world governing body and to try and portray it as racist or a discriminatory attack is totally unacceptable."

Gill also criticised Blatter's decision to stay on beyond 2015 having previously vowed to step down if he won the 2011 election.

"The very fact in 2011 he was clear it was just for four years, that should have been the situation. To change his mind is disappointing," Gill added.

FA chairman Greg Dyke has also criticised Blatter, slamming his comments as "totally unacceptable".