FIFA spokesman's departure comes after he made joke
The announcement came via a four-paragraph statement from the organization, and while the statement did not give a reason for Walter De Gregorio's departure, it made it sound as if the decision was the FIFA spokesman's alone.
"Walter De Gregorio has decided to relinquish his office with immediate effect as Director of Communications & Public Affairs. Mr. De Gregorio joined FIFA (in) September 2011 and will serve FIFA on a consultancy basis until the end of this year," it said.
Several media outlets wondered aloud, however, if the former newspaperman's departure was tied to his recent appearance on Swiss television, where he made a joke at his employer's expense.
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The rough translation (De Gregorio spoke in Swiss-German), according to various sources, is as follows:
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Question: FIFA President Sepp Blatter, his spokesman and the secretary-general are all sitting in a car. Who's driving?
Answer: The police.
Deputy Director Nicolas Maingot will take over as interim director, FIFA said.
"Walter has worked incredibly hard for the past four years and we are immensely grateful for all he has done. I am glad we will be able to continue to draw on his expertise until the end of the year," FIFA Secretary-General Jérôme Valcke said in a statement.
Valcke is a focus in a probe into FIFA corruption after U.S. officials told The New York Times that he was linked to a $10 million bribe ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Valcke has denied any wrongdoing.
After the U.S. Justice Department unsealed a 47-count indictment detailing charges against nine FIFA officials and five others accused of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, De Gregorio took to a podium in Zurich, Switzerland, last month to call it a good day for FIFA.
"This for FIFA is good," he said. "It is not good in terms of image, and it's not good in terms of reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, in terms of everything that we did in the last four years."
In the following week, Blatter would win re-election for a fifth term as president before announcing his resignation. Blatter has promised to step down as soon as FIFA can organize another election, which will be December at the earliest.
In a Thursday vote, the European Parliament passed a resolution demanding zero-tolerance for corruption in football and calling for FIFA to replace Blatter immediately.
"Parliament welcomes Joseph Blatter's resignation as FIFA president and calls on the federation to select an interim leader to replace him," a statement said, using the FIFA chief's first name. The resolution is not binding.
