FIFA President Is Cleared - NYTimes.com FIFA's president, Sepp Blatter, was cleared of criminal or ethical wrongdoing in a case involving millions of dollars in bribes for World Cup contracts. Blatter's predecessor, João Havelange, 96, was forced to step down as the honorary president because of his involvement in the case. A report issued by a FIFA ethics court judge said Havelange's conduct had been "morally and ethically reproachable" for accepting bribes from the sports marketing company ISL. The conduct of Blatter, who was accused of knowing about the bribes, was described as "clumsy" but not criminal.