ZURICH (AP) Sepp Blatter defied calls from FIFA sponsors Budweiser, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa on Friday to quit immediately as president of world soccer's governing body rather than clinging on until the emergency election in February.
The interventions from the long-standing sponsors come a week after the 79-year-old Blatter was placed under criminal investigation by Swiss authorities for alleged financial wrongdoing at FIFA, which he has led since 1998.
The 79-year-old Blatter ''respectfully disagrees'' with the sponsors' demands, the president's lawyer, Richard Cullen, said in a statement.
''(He) 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,'' Cullen said.