The president of the German Football Association (DFB) has resigned over a payment to FIFA that was allegedly used to bribe officials of the body to
The president of the German Football Association (DFB) has resigned over a payment to FIFA that was allegedly used to bribe officials of the body to vote for Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid.
Wolfgang Niersbach denied any wrongdoing but said he was taking “political responsibility” for the 6.7m euro payment.
“The office of the DFB president must not be burdened with this,” Niersbach told reporters. “It is about my personal reputation but the office is above the person. That is why I made this decision today which was extremely difficult for me.”
The affair has resulted in Niersbach being investigated for tax evasion. The authorities searched his home as well as that of his predecessor Theo Zwanziger, and former Secretary General Horst Schmid.
The scandal has tarnished the reputation of the world’s biggest soccer federation.