UEFA 'deeply shocked' by FIFA revelations, demand presidential election to be postponed

"Today's events are a disaster for FIFA and tarnish the image of football as a whole," UEFA said in a statement.

"These events show, once again, that corruption is deeply rooted in FIFA's culture. There is a need for the whole of FIFA to be 'rebooted' and for a real reform to be carried out."

Football was plunged into turmoil on Wednesday as seven powerful figures were arrested on US corruption charges and faced extradition from Switzerland, whose authorities also announced a criminal investigation into the awarding of the next two World Cups.

That prompted UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino to demand for the election – a head-to-head battle between incumbent Sepp Blatter and Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan – to be postponed.

"We strongly believe the FIFA Congress should be postponed with new FIFA presidential elections to be organised within the next six months," Infantino told reporters at the Sheraton Hotel.

Earlier on Wednesday, it was widely reported that the election would go ahead on Friday as planned.

The arrests of the senior FIFA officials in a morning raid at a five-star Zurich hotel mark an unprecedented blow against the governing body, which for years has been dogged by allegations of corruption but always escaped major criminal cases.

US authorities said a total of nine officials and five sports media and promotions executives were charged with corruption involving more than $150 million (£97 million) in bribes over a period of 24 years.

"Today's events are a disaster for FIFA and tarnish the image of football as a whole.

"UEFA is deeply shocked and saddened by them.

"These events show, once again, that corruption is deeply rooted in FIFA's culture.

"There is a need for the whole of FIFA to be 'rebooted' and for a real reform to be carried out.

"The upcoming FIFA Congress risks to turn into a farce and therefore the European associations will have to consider carefully if they should even attend this Congress and caution a system, which, if it is not stopped, will ultimately kill football.

"The UEFA member associations are meeting tomorrow ahead of the FIFA Congress. At that point, the European associations will decide on what further steps need to be taken to protect the game of football.

"In the meantime, the members of the UEFA Executive Committee are convinced that there is a strong need for a change to the leadership of this FIFA and strongly believe that the FIFA Congress should be postponed, with new FIFA presidential elections to be organised within the next six months."