Interim FIFA President Issa Hayatou holds first press conference

Interim FIFA President Issa Hayatou arrived at the governing body’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday as he prepares to guide the scandal-plagued organisation through strict reforms ahead of elections to find a permanent successor to long-time president Sepp Blatter.

Hayatou expressed his delight in stepping in as FIFA president, though on interim basis, promising to initiate reforms in the football body.

“I’m proud to have been given this new job, though I’m also aware of the responsibility that comes with it,” said the Cameroonian, who also heads the African football federation.

“Having spent 28 years here now, I think I know enough about how football works. We can now take the opportunity to move forward, with all the people who are in position here, because this is not a job that the president can do all on his own.”

Hayatou urged critics not to generalise their opinions of those who work at the organisation following the recent scandal which led to the suspension of the FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini.

“As far as I’m concerned, I think we need to keep things in perspective. While there are some individuals who have not behaved in a fitting manner, in general terms FIFA is still doing what it has to do, which is to develop the game of football.”

A 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs (1.37 million pounds) from FIFA to Frenchman Platini is part of a Swiss criminal investigation into Blatter, in which the UEFA boss is considered as someone “between a witness and an accused person”, according to Swiss judicial authorities.

Platini has said the payment was for his work under contract for FIFA as an advisor to Swiss-born Blatter between 1999 and 2002, and the nine-year payment delay was due to FIFA’s financial situation. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

“As you know, FIFA has already set up a Reform Committee, which we at the Executive Committee created and which is ready to get down to work. It arranged its first meeting at the start of September and a number of other meetings have also been scheduled,” he said.

“My role as the acting president is, therefore, to ensure that the reforms we are planning can be implemented in full, and we will be doing everything within our power to ensure they are effective. This is something we announced at the 2011 Congress and which we are in the process of gradually putting in place.”

Hayatou has said he would not be a contender to the permanent position of FIFA president, currently scheduled for February.