Prime Minister David Cameron has backed his sports minister's call for Sepp Blatter to resign after the Fifa president said racist comments in a football match could be resolved by a handshake after the game.
Mr Cameron described Mr Blatter's claims that racism on the pitch is not a problem as "appalling", adding that there was "no time for complacency" when it came to stamping it out.
The Prime Minister's comments came as the Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said it was now time for the chief of football's world governing body to stand aside.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Robertson said Mr Blatter's comments were "very foolish", adding it was incumbent on global figureheads to show that racism "was not acceptable in sport and not acceptable in society as a whole".
"If people aren't prepared to do that, then they should vacate their posts," Mr Robertson said.
Number 10 sources said the Sports Minister had the PM's full support in calling for Mr Blatter to resign. In a statement, Mr Cameron added: "It's appalling to suggest that racism in any way should be accepted as part of the game.
"A lot of work has gone into ridding racism from all aspects of our society, including football. As many of our top sports stars have rightly pointed out, now is not the time for complacency."
Following his comments, Mr Blatter decided to stick to his guns. In an interview with Fox Soccer, he said said he had spent his career in football fighting racism. Last year's World Cup in South Africa had brought an end to racism in football, he said.
When questioned about his comments, he said: "I'm not saying about discrimination, but it's foul language, it's a foul play. At the end of the match, if you have foul play (when) the match is over you shake hands now because it's what we want to do.
"Before the match and at the end of the match everyone shall shake hands and therefore also forget what has been on the field of play. But having said that, I go on with my determination and my energy to go against all discrimination and racism."