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Sponsors pressure Blatter to quit

Xinhua, October 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

World soccer chief Sepp Blatter was given another blow on Friday as he was demanded to resign by three American companies who are top FIFA sponsors.

Blatter, 79, is under investigation by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) over alleged mismanagement and misappropriation one week ago.

On Friday, US credit card giant Visa became the third top FIFA sponsor to call for Blatter's immediate resignation, following beverage company Coca-Cola and fastfood chain McDonald's.

It was the first time that FIFA's powerful financial backers had called explicitly for Blatter to resign.

Blatter's New York attorney Richard Cullen issued a statement saying the Swiss would not leave office.

Blatter "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," it said. Endi