Agencies
ZURICH, JULY 20
SEPP Blatter's FIFA news conference was disrupted and delayed on Monday by a British comedian's stunt, just moments after football's governing body announced that its presidential election to choose Blatter's successor would be held on Feb. 26, 2016.
Comedian Simon Brodkin, better known as Lee Nelson, threw what looked like fake bank notes all over Blatter.
Brodkin's prank prompted Blatter to announce he would delay the news conference. Brodkin is also known for having interrupted Kanye West's headline slot at the Glastonbury festival in June and dedicating his stage invasion to Taylor Swift.
This was Blatter's first news conference since he announced his decision to step down from his role at the beginning of June amid the corruption scandal that has rocked world football's governing body.
Blatter said he would leave the room because "we have to clean here first.''
"This has nothing to do with football,'' said Blatter, who returned within a few minutes and quipped about the incident. I just called my late mother and she said, 'Don't worry, it's just a lack of education,''' he said.
The election decision was made by FIFA's executive committee on Monday. The move followed Blatter's decision to resign four days after being re-elected in May.
Blatter, 79, confirmed at the time that he would remain in his position until a special election can be held to appoint his successor.
The FIFA president hosted Michel Platini and football's other continental presidents on Sunday in their first formal meeting since Blatter announced he would leave office.
When the presidents group last met on May 28 -- in the same luxury hotel one day after senior FIFA officials were arrested in a U.S. corruption investigation -- Blatter refused to resign and was re-elected the next day for a fifth four-year term
Sunday's closed-door meeting at FIFA headquarters helped prepare for the executive committee session on Monday, called on short notice to set a date for the presidential election to replace Blatter.
Platini, the UEFA president and former France great, is currently favoured to win a ballot that requires a four-month campaign by FIFA election rules.
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein wants Blatter to leave now as FIFA president, and let a leader from outside the sport oversee FIFA's next election and reforms.
The former FIFA presidential candidate had earlier urged the executive committee not to rush into an early election date.
"The future of FIFA is at stake," Prince Ali, a vice president for four years until May, said in a statement to The Associated Press. "If a December election is called, there will not be the meaningful change in the leadership of FIFA that we so desperately need."
Change must start with Blatter's immediate departure, the Jordanian prince said in his first public comments since Blatter announced his exit plans.
"President Blatter's resignation cannot be dragged out any longer. He must leave now," Prince Ali said, insisting his former opponent "cannot be permitted to plan his succession and manage this election process."
FIFA sponsor Coca-Cola last week told FIFA to appoint an independent commission to lead the reform process required to clean up the scandal-ridden organisation.
Former top FIFA official Jeffrey Webb pleaded not guilty on Saturday to racketeering and bribery charges in the corruption case aimed at FIFA.
Webb posted a $10 million bond at his arraignment in federal court. He surrendered three passports -- two from the United Kingdom and one from the Cayman Islands -- and will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release.
