Tuesday 30 April 2013 18:42, UK
Former FIFA president Joao Havelange has resigned as honorary president of the world governing body after an ethics committee report named him as having received bribe money.
Eckert does question Blatter's role in the scandal however with the report stating: "It must be questioned, however, whether President Blatter knew or should have known over the years before the bankruptcy of ISL that ISL had made payments (bribes) to other FIFA officials. "The report states that in 1997, Blatter authorised the transfer of 1.5m Swiss francs (£1m) to Havelange after ISL mistakenly sent it to FIFA. But Blatter, who was then general secretary of the organisation when Havelange was president, told the ethics investigation "at that time he did not suspect the payment was a commission". "President Blatter's conduct could not be classified in any way as misconduct with regard to any ethics rules."
