Sepp Blatter resignation 'great for football': FA chief Dyke

Sepp Blatter's shock resignation as FIFA president on Tuesday was hailed as 'great for football' by one of his chief critics, English FA chief Greg Dyke

London: Sepp Blatter's shock resignation as FIFA president on Tuesday was hailed as 'great for football' by one of his chief critics, English FA chief Greg Dyke.


Sepp Blatter. Pic/AFP 

Dyke, who told BBC World he lost faith in Blatter last year, said he thought the 79-year-old Swiss realised the mounting corruption scandal that has engulfed world football's governing body 'was getting close to him'.

"It is a good afternoon! I think it's brilliant for world football. This is the start of something new," said Dyke. "The whole organisation of FIFA needs re-structuring. The whole organisation needs looking at financially.

"The future has got to be about transparency but this is great news today." Dyke added that FIFA under Blatter has done some good, including taking the World Cup to Africa for the first time in 2010, but added: "It's all been done under a cloud of corruption and today it ends."

British Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale told BBC Radio 5 live: "I hope football can now come together.

The chasm was created by Blatter wanting to hang on. Europe was supporting an alternative candidate and as long as he was there it was going to be difficult to move forward. "I now hope everyone can come together to make the changes required."

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