FIFA President Sepp Blatter Facing Calls for His Resignation

FIFA President Sepp Blatter Facing Calls for His Resignation
John Nestor

Geneva, Switzerland

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is facing calls for his resignation Thursday after saying racial abuse on the soccer field could be settled by a handshake and quickly forgotten.

The comment in television interviews drew outrage across soccer.

Blatter faced some of his harshest criticism from players and officials in England where there are two high-profile current soccer cases involving alleged racism.

John Terry of Chelsea is being investigated by the Football Association and the police after allegations he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. On Wednesday the FA charged Liverpool's Luis Suarez with racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

British Prime Minister David Cameron seemed to consider Blatter's suggestion a step back in the fight against racism.

"It's appalling to suggest that racism in any way should be accepted as part of the game," Cameron said in a statement. "A lot of work has gone into ridding racism from all aspects of our society, including football."

While there are no indications he will, if Blatter did resign, FIFA rules require that his senior vice president, Julio Grondona of Argentina, take over. That would last until an election at the next congress, scheduled for May in Budapest, Hungary.

The 80-year-old Grondona and has led Argentina's soccer federation since 1979.