STRASBOURG, France, June 11 (UPI) -- The European Parliament has urged FIFA President Sepp Blatter to resign immediately after the embattled president's offices were raided by Swiss authorities.
An overwhelming amount of the representatives approved a resolution calling for Blatter's resignation on Thursday in Strasbourg, France. The motion is not legally binding but adds further political pressure for Blatter to resign, stating that "urgent reform cannot begin in earnest until a new leadership is appointed."
The FIFA headquarter offices have been raided twice by Swiss authorities in Zurich, Switzerland, in the ongoing investigation of corruption and bribery by FIFA. Blatter's computers have been seized.
The elected officials welcomed Blatter's resignation, announced four days after he was re-elected as president on May 29, but expressed concern that until Blatter resigns, the credibility of the world's soccer governing body may not improve.
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FIFA has been embroiled in chaos and controversy since the U.S. Justice Department charged 14 FIFA officials and corporate executives of "racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies, among other offenses, in connection with the defendants' participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer."
High-ranking FIFA officials, including Blatter, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner, have come under legal scrutiny by the FBI and Swiss authorities.
Valcke announced that the bidding process to host the 2026 World Cup would be delayed due to allegations of bribery surrounding the host bids by Russia and Qatar.
"Due to the situation, I think it's nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being," he said.
Valcke is reportedly under investigation for authorizing a $10 million bribe from South Africa as to host the 2010 World Cup.
The United States, Mexico, Canada and Colombia are seen as potential bidders to host the 2026 World Cup.
