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Wolfgang Niersbach, President of the German Soccer Federation, Steps Down amid FIFA Scandal

Niersbach is the first DFB official to fall in the wake of the developing scandal surrounding a mysterious, off-the-books payment to FIFA.

Wolfgang Niersbach, the embattled president of the German Football Federation (the DFB), resigned late this afternoon, local time. His resignation comes nearly three weeks after German magazine Der Spiegel published a report alleging the DFB, using a now-deceased Adidas CEO as an intermediary, created a slush fund worth 6.7 million Euros that was used to bribe FIFA members, who then voted to select Germany as the host for the 2006 World Cup.

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After the Spiegel report, Niersbach didn't deny the off-the-books payment to FIFA. He instead explained that it was a kind of solidarity payment given to FIFA so that the world governing body would then release a 150 million euro grant to the DFB, which helped cover costs for the World Cup.

The explanation, already unsatisfying, was made worse by Niersbach's inability to explain why the DFB made made the payment off the books. He also appears to have lied about exactly when he became aware of the payment. Initially, Niersbach said he only heard about it this summer, and immediately launched an internal investigation. But last week, after police raided the DFB headquarters and the homes of Niersbach and his predecessor, it became clear that Niersbach had signed falsified tax documents in 2007 that attempted to write off the FIFA payment.

This afternoon, Niersbach had a meeting with the DFB's 21 regional presidents. Following the meeting, he issued his resignation.

"I was there from the first day of the bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup all the way to final documentation of the summer fairy tale, and have worked through all these years at all times not only with great passion, but always in clean, confident and correct fashion. Add to my assigned fields of marketing, media accreditations and event organization, I can say with a clear conscience that I have personally done absolutely nothing of blame.

It is depressing and painful for me to be confronted with something nine years later that I was not involved with and that leaves many questions open for me. I stick with it and want to make it clear once again, unequivocally, that I had no background knowledge of these payments.

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I love football and this federation, in which I experienced wonderful moments and work with great people. To protect the DFB and the Office, I step down as DFB president with a heavy heart…"