Sepp Blatter Press Conference: Key Takeaways from FIFA Media Briefing

FIFA President Sepp Blatter confirmed his tenure as head of the organisation will come to an end on February 26 during a media briefing on Monday, during which the Swiss head of football spoke about his plans for the future and the future of the game.

As reported by Sam Wallace of the Independent, there will be no congress held in December, as was initially expected. Blatter also once again stated his intention not to announce himself as a candidate during the new presidential elections, via BBC 5 Live's Richard Conway:

The 79-year-old has been FIFA's president since 1998, and during his reign, the organisation has been blessed with exponential growth but dogged by a number of scandals, per the Guardian's Owen Gibson.

An uninvited guest managed to disturb Monday's press conference by throwing a handful of cash at Blatter, as shared by Mike Tunison of Kissing Suzy Kolber. Conway noted he was escorted away by police afterward:

The focus was on Blatter, however, and the head of FIFA spoke freely about his plans for life after football. Via Wallace, he would like to have his own radio show, where he would focus on some of his biggest passions:

Reporters were more interested in some of the inner workings of FIFA and how Blatter felt about everything that has happened, but, as usual, the most powerful man in football refused to share too many details.

He's still not interested in sharing his exact wages, for instance, via Conway:

When asked about his resignation, Blatter became almost defensive, telling reporters he has not and would never resign, per Rob Harris of the Associated Press:

Looking back on his tenure, he admitted he does feel some regrets over what has happened, via Harris.

Blatter has never been one to shy away from the media, and over the years, he's grown increasingly confident in front of the cameras. Monday's press conference was another perfect example of how the man who ran FIFA for 17 years almost always keeps his calm, no matter what happens.

Conway wasn't surprised:

With the FBI still investigating the organisation, per Gibson, the next six months could be a crucial time for Blatter and FIFA. The organisation wants to start fresh in February with a new leader who can replace Blatter as the face of football for years to come.

But the more secrets investigators uncover, the more difficult FIFA's path to a fresh start becomes.