• Anonymous source tells Schweiz am Sonntag Blatter could stay • Blatter has reportedly received messages of support from Africa and Asia

Sepp Blatter could seek to stay on as Fifa’s president, according to an anonymous source quoted by the Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag. 

Top Fifa official says Sepp Blatter must not renege on promise to quit Read more

The report, which quotes an unnamed source close to Blatter, comes less than two weeks after Blatter announced he is to resign as the head of world football’s governing body. 

The newspaper said it had information that Blatter had received messages of support from African and Asian football associations asking him to rethink his decision to step down.  The source told the paper Blatter was honoured by the support and had not ruled out remaining in office.  Fifa did not immediately reply to a request for comment. 

Blatter said on 2 June he would step down as president in the wake of an FBI-led corruption investigation, having headed the organisation since 1998.  Fifa is due to pick his replacement at an emergency meeting in Zurich in December. 

The newspaper also suggested that Blatter’s renewed interest in the job was another reason for the departure of Fifa’s director of communications Walter de Gregorio, since the Swiss had argued for a new start and advised Blatter to go.  De Gregorio declined to comment.