CHUNG MONG JOON said yesterday that Fifa’s most urgent task is to root out corruption, just hours before former vice-president Jack Warner was banned for life.

Outgoing president Sepp Blatter has had criminal proceedings opened against him by the Swiss attorney general while secretary-general Jerome Valcke has been relieved of his duties for allegedly being involved in a World Cup tickets scheme.

Chung, a vice-president, is planning to stand in next year’s presidential election against Uefa chief Michel Platini, who is under the microscope for a £1.3 million payment in 2011 for work done nine years previously.

Both Blatter and Platini released statements on Monday vehemently denying any wrongdoing or illegal activity, but Chung said that it was “another sad day for Fifa,” and called for an emergency task force to be set up.

Chung said: “The 2018 World Cup qualifying matches continue to be held. Many football development programs continue to be implemented. However, Fifa that should be overseeing all this is in a total meltdown.

“Under such circumstances, Fifa and regional confederations should consider convening extraordinary sessions of their respective executive committees as well as congress to set up an emergency task force that will enable the Fifa secretariat to function without interruption.

“During my tenure as a Fifa Executive Committee member, I worked ceaselessly to confront and to correct what I thought were opaque and illegal ways in which Blatter and his predecessor, [Joao] Havelange, ran Fifa. I am sad to say that, at the time, I did not have the power to stop such corrupt practices that have now come back to haunt and destroy Fifa.

“Fifa is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. However, this is also an unprecedented opportunity to reform it.

“If all those who love football can bring their collective wisdom to bear on reforming Fifa, it will be possible to save and revitalise it.

“The most urgent task at hand is to root out corruption from within Fifa.”

To add to the crisis at Fifa, Warner was handed a lifetime ban from all football related activities by Fifa’s ethics committee and described as a “key player” involved in illegal payments.