FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Thursday ruled out a European Parliament demand for him to quit immediately, but one of his top lieutenants did resign from the embattled organisation.


Blatter, who resigned last week despite being re-elected as head of football's world governing body, which has been consumed by an ever-widening corruption probe, intends to continue in office until a successor is designated, probably by the end of the year.


"FIFA is perplexed by the European Parliament's resolution," a FIFA spokesman said. "As is well known, following his re-election, the FIFA President already decided, owing to the special circumstances in which FIFA finds itself, to lay down his mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress."


The European Parliament had called on Blatter to step down immediately and allow for an interim leader to launch reforms in global football's governing body.