But UEFA President Michel Platini is the favourite for FIFA presidency

It didn't take long for oddsmakers to get over the surprise resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and anoint his probable successor. Michel Platini, a former Blatter protege turned fierce critic, is the man most likely to lead football’s governing body into a new era, according to the bookies.

Blatter's departure clears the way to the top for Platini, who said last week that a Blatter victory would "destroy football."

"It was a difficult decision, a brave decision, and the right decision," said Platini, while reacting to Blatter quitting. While Blatter's exit was celebrated by his critics, finding the right replacement willing to undertake reforms to allow FIFA to emerge from its scandal-battered reputation will not be easy, according to the organisation's former reform adviser, Mark Pieth.

FIFA commissioned a group led by Pieth to improve corporate governance following Blatter's previous election victory in 2011, when his only rival quit amid vote-buying claims. A year earlier, accusations of graft were made against officials who chose Russia and Qatar to be World Cup hosts.

Platini was among the first to acknowledge that he voted for Qatar, the world's richest country per capita. The decision continues to roil world soccer as claims of impropriety over the World Cup votes linger. "He is the favorite from the inside," Pieth said of Platini, a former star of the French national soccer team. "He has some formidable skeletons in the cupboard, and not just Qatar." Platini, 59, coached France's national team for four years after quitting football as a player at age 32. He then went into soccer administration, helping France organise the 1998 World Cup – the team won the tournament at home -- and became the head of European soccer governing body UEFA in 2007. Platini has postponed a UEFA meeting about the corruption scandal scheduled for Saturday "to take time to assess the situation."

Possible Replacements

Chung Mong Joon, an honorary FIFA vice president who has also run for the South Korean presidency, said Wednesday he's considering a bid. Prince Ali, brother of Jordan's king Abdullah, suggested he'd be ready to make another run for the presidency, telling CNN he would consider standing again. "I am at the disposal of all the national associations who want a change, including all of those who were afraid to make a change," said Ali, who conceded defeat after getting 73 votes to Blatter's 133. Pieth said FIFA should name a caretaker president who could focus on pushing through much-needed reforms before those with their eyes on being Blatter's longer-term successor should be considered.