Fifa news conference

Fifa's director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio has begun the news conference in Zurich.

He said: "First and foremost Fifa initiated this process on 18 November last year.

"Fifa lodged a legal complaint with the federal attorney that had to do with the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

"The second point important to me is that while the timing may not obviously be the best, Fifa welcomes this process and Fifa cooperates fully with the attorney general of Switzerland and Federal Office of Justice and it corresponds to all requests for information."

More from Walter De Gregorio: "I wish to repeat in this case Fifa is the damaged party, this leads to the fact that there were no searches within the offices of Fifa. We co-operate with the information requested because it is of our highest interest that open questions can be answered.
"The general secretary and the president are not involved, as to the names of the people published I am unable to comment. There is hardly anything we can say to the current procedure, it is once again Fifa suffering under these circumstances."

More from Walter De Gregorio: "We are very happy with what is happening right now, it is once again Fifa suffering under the circumstances, it is certainly a difficult moment for us.
"Of course congress will take place, one thing has nothing to do with the other. Congress will be carried out taking into account this current procedure.
"We are of course in very close contact with the attorney general and it is possible that later in the day or tomorrow we can give you an update on the latest situation.
"We know nothing more right now, only what we have been informed through this press release."

Director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio is now taking questions from the media.
The first is about suggestions that Sepp Blatter is now actively looking to postpone Friday's presidential election.
"Then you know more than I do then because there was never such an idea to postpone either the congress or the election," replies De Gregorio
"One thing has nothing to do with the other so we go on with the agenda and the election will take place as planned."

When asked if both investigations are coincidence in terms of timing, Walter De Gregorio said: "The general attorney said the fact that all the people are here for the congress so for them it is easier to talk to them here instead of in different countries."

 

Is this the lowest ebb for Fifa?
Walter De Gregorio: "As I said, you don't believe me but I say again this for Fifa is good. It's not good in terms of image and reputation but in terms of cleaning up this is good. It is not a nice day, we have other things to do, but the process goes on and we are looking forward to the results. As long as we don't have complete results it leads to speculation."

Walter De Gregorio: "I cannot confirm the names and cannot confirm how many people have been arrested. The World Cup 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar."

Why is Mr Blatter still the right person to run Fifa and are football fans the victims?
Walter De Gregorio: "The damaged part are all of us. Football fans for sure but the president is not involved, how can you say he has to step down? He is the president, if he is re-elected then he is the president for the next four years."

Fifa director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio on Sepp Blatter: "He is focused on the congress. The stress factor is higher today than it was yesterday but he is quite relaxed because he is not involved. All the rest he can accept what will happen. It was Fifa on 18 November that asked the general attorney to open the case."

Fifa director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio: "I can confirm that none of us had an idea that this morning at 6am this would start. If I had the information I can assure you I would have gone to bed earlier.
"We are all surprised. I decided after talking to the president and general secretary we would do a press conference right now although all the information you may need, we do not have."

Another crisis for Fifa?
Fifa director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio: "I have to repeat myself, for us this is good. It's not nice to be here trying to explain something that is not nice but this is good, it confirms we are on the right track. It's not easy but it's the only way to go, we are ready to go the way we started four years ago and nothing will stop us."

What took place in the dawn raid, did they break doors down?
Fifa director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio: "At six o'clock I was sleeping. How it worked and what they did and if there were any problems you will have to ask the general attorney. I received a phone call around seven o'clock and didn't know anything about what happened."

Are these developments occurring because Fifa has not been cleaned up from within?
Fifa director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio: "We can clean up to a certain point then we need support from the authorities. Why did we hand over the Garcia file? Because we need support. We cannot investigate as police can or general prosecutors can. That's the reason why we fully co-operate."

Fifa director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio confirms those delegates arrested will not be able to vote in Friday's election if they are not present to do so.
"He (Sepp Blatter) is not dancing in his office," says De Gregorio. "He is just very calm, he sees what happens and is fully cooperative. He is not a kind of happy man today but knows this is the consequence of what we initiated. It's a surprise that it happened today but not a surprise that it happens."