Four of FIFA’s major sponsors have called on Sepp Blatter to immediately step down as president.
Coca-Cola was the first to speak out – swiftly followed by McDonald’s, Visa and AB InBev, which owns Budweiser.
It comes after Swiss authorities launched criminal proceedings against the 79 year old.
But Mr Blatter’s lawyer, Richard Cullen, said his client was going nowhere until a successor was appointed in February 2016.
He said: “While Coca Cola is a valued sponsor of FIFA, Mr Blatter respectfully disagrees with its position and believes firmly that his leaving office now would not be in the best interest of FIFA nor would it advance the process of reform, and therefore he will not resign.”
Coca-Cola said it was “calling for FIFA President Joseph Blatter to step down immediately so that a credible and sustainable reform process can begin in earnest”.
Its statement added: “Every day that passes, the image and reputation of FIFA continues to tarnish.
“FIFA needs comprehensive and urgent reform, and that can only be accomplished through a truly independent approach.”
Further statements followed from McDonald’s, which said it would be in the “best interests of the game” for Mr Blatter to go immediately, and from AB InBev, which said the FIFA president was an “obstacle in the reform process”.
FIFA’s other major sponsors, Gazprom, Hyundai and Adidas, have yet to comment.
“It doesn’t matter what Mr Blatter says now – if the people who pay for FIFA want a change they will get a change,” said Mr Dyke.
The allegations relate to suspicion over a “disloyal payment” of 2m Swiss francs (£1.3m) to UEFA president Michel Platini.
The payment was “allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002”.
Mr Platini said the payment “relates to work which I carried out under a contract” and he “was pleased to have been able to clarify all matters” to the authorities. The Frenchman is not accused of wrongdoing.
Mr Blatter’s lawyer has denied any wrongdoing on the part of his client. -SkyNews.
