ZURICH (AP) Clinging to power after rebuffing resignation demands, Sepp Blatter received some respite Saturday when two sponsors declined to join four other FIFA corporate backers in demanding the president of world soccer's governing body goes before the emergency election in February.
In a seemingly coordinated move, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa initiated their strongest interventions as sponsors on Friday in requesting Blatter's immediate exit from FIFA.
The 79-year-old Blatter remains defiant in the face of a criminal investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing, insisting that his departure would not be in the best interests of FIFA as it responds to the corruption crisis by fast-tracking reforms.