Blatter resigns: Fifa sponsors welcome move but demand urgent and swift clean-up

Fifa's major sponsors heaved a collective sigh of relief after president Sepp Blatter's shock decision to stand down on 2 June.

However, Visa and Coca-Cola repeated warnings that they expected a swift overhaul at the corruption-hit world footballing body.

McDonald's added it hoped Blatter's resignation would be the first step towards "gaining back trust from fans worldwide".

Visa said it was encouraged "by the recognition by Fifa that extensive and fundamental reform is needed as reflected by the announcement that president Blatter is resigning".

"This is a significant first step towards rebuilding public trust, but more work lies ahead," it continued.

"We repeat, however, that it is our expectation that Fifa will take swift and immediate steps towards addressing the issues within its organisation to quickly rebuild a culture with strong ethical practices that will restore the reputation of the games for fans around the world."

Calls for urgent action

This was echoed by Coca-Cola, which described the move as "a positive step", but added that it expected Fifa to "act with urgency" and "win back the trust of all who love the sport of football".

"We believe this decision will help Fifa transform itself rapidly into a much-needed 21st-Century structure and institution," the soft drinks giant said.

Other sponsors, Budweiser, Adidas and McDonald's, also welcomed the move.

"We expect today's announcement to accelerate Fifa's efforts to resolve internal issues, install positive change and adhere to the highest ethical standards and transparency," said Budweiser.

Adidas said the news marked "a step in the right direction on Fifa's path to establish and follow transparent compliance standards in everything they do".

For its part, McDonald's said it was "hopeful" that the changes being implemented would lead to Fifa being reformed and "gaining back trust from fans worldwide".

Branding experts said the news did not make it easier for companies to stick with their sponsorships.

"They're not going to be as stressed because I think one of the major linchpins and major challenges was Sepp Blatter himself," Miro Copic, a professor of marketing at San Diego State University and chief executive of the consulting firm BottomLine Marketing, told Reuters. "There are marketing teams out there who are just breathing a sigh of relief."