FIFA presidential election confirmed for February 26

FIFA’s presidential elections will go ahead as planned on February 26 next year, the governing body’s executive committee has confirmed.

The provisional 90-day suspension levelled at incumbent Sepp Blatter – as well as secretary general Jerome Valcke – as part of FIFA’s anti-corruption investigations had led to calls for the elections to be brought forward or suspended.

Following an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee on Tuesday, however, FIFA has announced the extraordinary elective congress will be held on the original date at the end of February 2016.

FIFA has also confirmed that the code of ethics will be subjected to an amendment in order to create “more transparency” relating to the organisation’s activities.

The change will be made to article 36 of the current code, which specifies the levels to which executive committee members must keep the details of their operations confidential.

Blatter was re-elected as FIFA president in May, though he later announced he would step down from his position after claiming he did not feel he had the support of football at large.

The 79-year-old was provisionally suspended earlier this month following the launch of a criminal investigation into his actions. He has denied any wrongdoing.