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FA's Heather Rabbatts withdraws from FIFA role following re-election of Sepp Blatter

FA board member Heather Rabbatts withdraws from the FIFA task force against racism and discrimination following the re-election of president Sepp Blatter.

FA board member Heather Rabbatts has announced her withdrawal from the FIFA task force against racism and discrimination following the re-election of president Sepp Blatter.

Rabbatts has revealed that she cannot continue in the role due to the "disastrous effect" that the recent corruption allegations have had on the world governing body's reputation.

Many called for Blatter to stand down from his position after seven football officials were arrested in Zurich last week on suspicion of paying or receiving bribes of more than $100m (£65m) from the 1990s to the present day.

However, the 79-year-old, who was not one of the 40 people indicted by the US authorities, continued to stand and was re-elected for a fifth term last Friday.

In a statement via the Football Association's official website, Rabbatts said: "I am withdrawing with immediate effect from the FIFA task force against racism and discrimination.

"This has not been an easy decision as I believe the challenges facing FIFA on the issue of racism and discrimination are very significant, particularly in relation to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and whilst FIFA has not taken these issues seriously in the past, progress has recently been made.

"However, my willingness to play a part in the development of policies in this area is outweighed by the disastrous effect on FIFA's reputation of recent events. Like many in the game, I find it unacceptable that so little has been done to reform FIFA.

"It is clear from the re-election of President Blatter that the challenges facing FIFA and the ongoing damage to the reputation of football's world governing body are bound to continue to overshadow and undermine the credibility of any work in the anti-racism arena and beyond. My commitment to challenging discrimination across the game remains undiminished and I will continue to work with The FA and other international partners on this fundamental issue in our game."

FA chairman Greg Dyke has been among a number of football figures to suggest that Blatter should not remain as president.

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