Blatter resigns as FIFA president

ZURICH, June 3 (Agencies): Sepp Blatter Tuesday resigned as president of FIFA as a mounting corruption scandal engulfed world football's governing body.
The 79-year-old Swiss official, FIFA president for 17 years and only reelected on Friday, said a special congress would be called as soon as possible to elect a successor.
Blatter said that the scandal-tainted FIFA needs "profound reconstruction" and that he had "thoroughly reconsidered" his presidency since his reelection.
He added that the vote "does not seem to be supported by everybody in the world of football."
His resignation came less than a week after Swiss police arrested seven FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, at a Zurich hotel. The arrests were carried out on behalf of US prosecutors who accuse the seven, and eight other suspects, of involvement in $150 million of bribes.
Meanwhile, Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the world football body, US media say
US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted.
Two days after the arrests, Mr Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA.
However, he said Tuesday that it appeared the mandate he had been given "does not seem to be supported by everybody in the world of football".
Mr Blatter said Fifa needed profound restructuring, adding that he would remain in post until an extraordinary congress was called to elect a new president.
No dates have been set, but under Fifa rules it is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday hailed the shock resignation of world football boss Sepp Blatter as a step to help restore transparency in its corruption-tainted governing body FIFA.