Fifa: Sepp Blatter to quit as president amid corruption scandal

[Matilda]

28. Before we start celebrating,

the Australian blog, "The Conversation", put out by academics, has a warning note in today's edition:

"Significantly, despite every news organisation stating that he had resigned, he did not use the word in his brief press conference. The masterful politician remained in control until the end, and left us not entirely certain if it is indeed the end.

The key passage in Blatter’s announcement stated:

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.

Until we hear differently – and this is a fluid situation – he is still at FIFA. More importantly, he is setting the agenda."

(snip)

...we may have just witnessed a piece of skill and mastery to remind us of Argentina hero Leo Messi. While his opponents are busy fighting over who will succeed him, it appears he will be setting the agenda for when they finally replace him, and the seeds were in his announcement."

The master tactician may have outmanoeuvred everyone. Within his brief announcement there are statements that should cause concern. He suggested that the executive committee must be reduced in size and its members 'should be elected through the FIFA Congress'”

This looks like a clever ploy to remove the additional members that are there for historical reasons. Chief amongst these will the anachronistic position for the home countries such as England, held due to their position as the inventors of the modern game."

Blatter continued his brief manifesto for change by saying that: “The integrity checks for all executive committee members must be organised centrally through FIFA and not through the confederations.” This is another clever piece of politics."

https://theconversation.com/the-clever-politics-of-sepp-blatters-resignation-from-fifa-42733

I took the resignation at face value, but I'm no lawyer or politician, and I guess Blatter's a master after all these years. It certainly is a complete turnaround from last week on the face of it, and now I can't help wondering what he's really up to – pulling the strings from behind the scenes to ensure that he and his friends continue to be "rewarded"?