FIFA Executives To Hold Extraordinary Meeting

FIFA is to hold an extraordinary executive committee meeting on 20 October following the suspension of president Sepp Blatter.

The announcement comes a day after Mr Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini were suspended for 90 days by FIFA's ethics committee.

The executive committee had not been due to meet until December but will now convene the week after next at the behest of several members including England's David Gill and Belgium's Michel D'Hooge.

They apparently want it to consider postponing the presidential election scheduled for 26 February next year.

A statement from football's world governing body said: "FIFA can today confirm that its Executive Committee (ExCo) will convene in Zurich on Tuesday 20 October 2015 for an extraordinary meeting.

"Further information will be communicated in due course."

Mr D'Hooghe said: "I am one of the members asking for an emergency meeting of the FIFA ExCo.

"At the moment I have no information about an eventual postponing of the election but perhaps this point could be discussed there."

The issue is also expected to be raised at a meeting of UEFA's 54 member associations which has been called for next Thursday in Nyon, Switzerland.

It is thought delaying the election could benefit Mr Platini, who filed his nomination papers for the presidency just hours before he was suspended.

The Frenchman has lodged an appeal against the ban, as has Mr Blatter , who was relieved of his duties as FIFA president on Thursday.

His friend and adviser Klaus Stohlker said: "He has appealed already to FIFA's appeal committee. He is defending his position and he is sure that he will be found not guilty."

Mr Platini and Mr Blatter are being investigated over a £1.3m payment made to the former by FIFA. Both deny any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Korean billionaire Chung Mong-joon, who also planned to run for the top job but was given a six-year ban on Thursday, has said he will take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and sue the ethics committee.

In another development, the Swiss justice ministry has agreed that another of the seven officials arrested in Zurich in May can be extradited to the United States.

Costas Takkas, who has joint British and Greek nationality, is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding marketing contracts. He has 30 days to appeal.