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Blatter skips 3rd appearance, stays out of public view

FILE - The June 1, 2011 file photo shows Swiss FIFA President Joseph (Sepp) Blatter during a press conference after the 61st FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. Blatter is seeking reelection at the FIFA congress in Zurich. Blatter is not among the six soccer officials who were arrested and detained by Swiss police on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities after a raid at a luxury hotel. The officials are in Switzerland for the FIFA congress and presidential election. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) FILE - The June 1, 2011 file photo shows Swiss FIFA President Joseph (Sepp) Blatter during a press conference after the 61st FIFA Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. Blatter is seeking reelection at the FIFA congress in Zurich. Blatter is not among the six soccer officials who were arrested and detained by Swiss police on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities after a raid at a luxury hotel. The officials are in Switzerland for the FIFA congress and presidential election. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

By Associated Press May 28, 2015 1 min read

ZURICH (AP) – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has skipped another speaking engagement as he avoids appearing in public for a second day.

Blatter missed giving a scheduled speech to open Thursday’s session of FIFA’s medical conference in a Zurich hotel.

FIFA chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak says Blatter has to “manage the situation,” after the governing body was rocked Wednesday by an American federal racketeering case.

Blatter has stayed out of public view by avoiding three scheduled speech-making duties within 24 hours.

Two FIFA vice presidents were among seven men arrested Wednesday in a Zurich hotel.

FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich was also raided by Swiss federal agencies for a separate probe of the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests.

Blatter is scheduled to address FIFA’s 209 member federations at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT).