The president of the German Football Association (DFB) Reinhard Grindel confirmed on Tuesday that he had stepped down with immediate effect, ending three controversial years in charge.
The 57-year-old has been under growing pressure following controversies culminating in a newspaper report on Monday that he had accepted the gift of a 6,000 Euro ($6,700) watch from Hryhoriy Surkis, a UEFA vice-president and honorary president of the Ukrainian football federation.