One of Sepp Blatter's key aides has quit his post at FIFA.

Walter De Gregorio has stood down from his role as director of communications and public affairs.

In a statement, FIFA said, De Gregorio had "decided to relinquish his office with immediate effect."

It comes days after he made a joke on live TV in Switzerland about the current corruption allegations FIFA is mired in, saying: "the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, the director of communications and the general secretary are all sitting in a car – who is driving? The police."

However, he will still work for the governing body on a consultancy basis for the rest of the year.