The Dutch football association KNVB on Wednesday welcomed the anti-corruption probe at world football body Fifa, which led to the arrest of seven senior officials earlier in the day.

However, the KNVB did not say if the arrests had any implications for the pending vote to elect a new president in several days time. Sepp Blatter, the current Fifa president, hopes to win a fifth term.

KNVB spokesman Chris van Nijnatten told Nos radio Blatter is formally responsible for what the FBI has called the ‘institutionalisation of corruption’ within Fifa.

‘However, Fifa insists he has clean hands. He was not arrested and can still do his job,’ Nijnatten said. ‘In a formal sense, this is correct, but you have to ask what others think about it. The KNVB considers the law should take its course.’

KNVB chief Michael van Praag had been campaigning for the Fifa top job on a reform ticket. However, he stood down earlier this month to clear the way for Jordanian prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein who has gathered more support from member countries over the past few months,

Van Praag has not commented on the arrests.