FOOTBALL'S leading figures have called for Fifa boss Sepp Blatter to quit after his claim there was NO racism in the game sparked outrage.
Among those blasting the head of world football were England star Rio Ferdinand and former Three Lions ace Les Ferdinand.
After Blatter said that, if there was racism, players should sort it out with a handshake, Rio tweeted: "Tell me I have just read Sepp Blatter's comments on racism in football wrong. If not then I am astonished."
And today he contacted Blatter's Twitter account directly, writing: "SeppBlatter your comments on racism are so condescending its almost laughable.
"If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?"
Ex-striker Les said: "I hope it's the last comment I hear from him because it's a disgrace that someone who is head of Fifa comes out with that remark.
"Like a lot of these people, they don't understand racism. It's never happened to them so they're making comments on a subject they know nothing about."
Sky pundit Graeme Souness said: "It's just another example of how far removed he is from the real world." Ex-Leicester midfielder and Strictly star Robbie Savage said: "This guy needs to go!"
The backlash against Blatter came after the 75-year-old was asked in a TV interview if he thought racism took place on the pitch.
He said: "I would deny it. There is no racism.
"There is maybe one of the players towards another, he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one. But also the one who's affected by that. He should say that this is a game. We are in a game and at the end of the game we shake hands."
John Terry ... allegations
Today Blatter tried to play down the race row in an interview at FIFA's HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.
He told a US interviewer during a chat to be broadcast in full on Sunday: "I have fought racism my whole life."
Blatter is due to conduct another interview hitting back at his critics on the BBC tomorrow.
Yesterday's outrageous remarks came on the day Liverpool's Luis Suarez was charged by the FA with racially abusing Man United's Patrice Evra — and amid an ongoing probe into allegations that England and Chelsea skipper John Terry was racist towards QPR's Anton Ferdinand.
Other footie figures to call for Blatter's head included Gordon Taylor — boss of the Professional Footballers' Association — who said he needed to go "without a shadow of doubt".
Taylor added: "I just felt this was a bridge too far, the straw that broke the camel's back.
"He made offensive comments some time ago about female footballers and then more recently he was very homophobic in Qatar.
"We have had the World Cup bid process, we have had corruption in his own back-yard, the total failure to use technology to get justice on the field — but this just goes beyond the line to talk like he did. It just shows he is totally out of tune and out of time."
Blatter later said in a statement on Fifa's website: "My comments have been misunderstood."