NO one seriously expected Sepp Blatter to be ousted as president of Fifa, and so it proved.

But that is not an endorsement of the man who has led football's world governing body for the past 16 years. Instead, it is an indictment of Fifa's reputation and a deep-rooted suspicion that anything that surrounds it is bent.

No one believed Mr Blatter would fail to be re-elected because no one believes in Fifa. That is the sad bottom line.

It is hard to fathom that a 79-year-old man can hang on to power in the midst of a crisis which has seen seven senior officials arrested this week as part of a US prosecution that has indicted 14 people.

It defies all logic that he is still standing while world leaders, including David Cameron, call for him to resign amid a frenzy of toxic headlines.

Mr Blatter has not been implicated himself but the organisation he heads has lost all its credibility.

Imagine David Cameron standing for re-election – and coasting to victory – at the same time that half of his cabinet members were under arrest on corruption charges.

But, somehow, this old man survives, with skin thicker than a herd of rhinos.

In welcoming his re-election, Mr Blatter has promised to "fix Fifa". But how can we trust someone who has overseen the breaking of Fifa to now ensure it is mended?

In the end, it comes down to money. Change will only happen when the sponsors decided enough is enough. And, to help them make up their minds, it is surely time for the great nations of football to break away from this rotten, discredited organisation and refuse to play ball.