Candidate for FIFA presidency Sexwale warns against 'sponsor activism'

ICSS - Securing Sport 2015 - Harold Pratt House, New York - 3/11/15 Tokyo Sexwale, Former Minister and current leader of a FIFA committee overseeing development of football in Palestine speaking at Day 1 of Securing Sport 2015 - the annual conference of the International Centre for Sports Security (ICSS) Photo Andrew Kelly for ICSS 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major sponsors of world football went too far when they issued calls last month for the resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale and candidate to succeed Blatter, said on Tuesday.

In September, Swiss authorities said they were opening a criminal investigation into Blatter, who has led FIFA since 1988. It was the latest blow to FIFA's reputation after U.S. prosecutors announced indictments in May accusing top football officials and marketing executives of multi-million dollar bribery schemes over 24 years. In response to the scandals, Coca-Cola Co , McDonald's, Visa, and Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch InBev, companies that have long linked their brand names to football, issued almost simultaneous statements in October demanding Blatter step down immediately in a strong push for change at the organization.