Intro:

A FIFA spokesperson said the election for the next president will take place on Friday despite two criminal investigations taking place into corruption and the bidding process into the bids for 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Communications Director (Q: Will the Congress or the FIFA General election be postponed?):

"Well then you know more than I do because there was never such an idea to postpone, not the Congress, not the election. As I said before, one thing has nothing to do with the other, so we go on with the agenda that you know and the election will take place as it was planned."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Communications Director (Q: How damaging is this to FIFA?):

"This for FIFA is good, it's not good in terms of image, it's not good in terms of reputation, but in terms of cleaning up, in terms of everything we did in the last four years, in terms of the reform process, this is good. We wouldn't have any interest to give the files to the Attorney (General) on the 18th of November if we would not have known that the consequences are exactly what we are doing here. So for us once again it is not a nice day and as you know we have other things to do as well, but in other words it's also a good day because I think the process goes on and we are looking forward to have the results, because as long as you don't have concrete results it leaves room for all kinds of speculation and this for sure is not something we are looking for."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Communications Director (On FIFA 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup)

"Second point, I mean, what do you expect from us? That we start to speculate and say maybe Russia, Qatar, we have to re-do the whole thing? Russia and Qatar (World Cups) will be played. This is what is fact today. And I don't go into speculation what will happen tomorrow, after tomorrow and so on. This is what I can tell you, not more and not less."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Communications Director (Q: Considering what has happened today is Sepp Blatter the right man to be FIFA President?)

"What do want me to answer? No, the President (Sepp Blatter) is not involved. Of course he is the head of FIFA but he is not involved in any - so how can you say, ok, he has to whatsoever, step down? He is the President, he is the President and in two days there are elections. If the 209 member associations, they re-elect him, then he is the President for the next four years."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Communications Director (Q: What was Sepp Blatter's reaction to the arrests?)

"Well, I mean, first of all he's focussed on the Congress and this for everybody involved, let's put it like this - the stress factor is a little bit higher today than it was yesterday. But I mean, he's quite relaxed becasue he knows, and he knew it before and he's confirmed once again today that he is not involved, he's not involved in that. All the rest, he's going to accept what will happen. And I'm sorry if going to repeat

SOUNDBITE: (German) Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Communications Director (Q: FIFA will not draw consequences as those people have been arrested but not charged, what would have to happen for someone to be suspended?) "Well you understand of course the basic idea, there is a presumption of innocence and you need a legal procedure and the Ethics Committee is involved, there are bodies involved, and they will decide whether a member for whatever reasons will be suspended. But you cannot expect that at six o'clock in the morning, the attorney general shows up and arrests people and that we are to say that they are suspended - if there is nothing behind all that, we cannot do any kind of preventative measure, this will not be the case."