Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz resigns from FIFA's Executive Committee

"FIFA has taken note of the formal resignation of Nicolás Leoz as a member of the FIFA Executive Committee and as President of CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) for health and personal reasons." This statemend was issued by FIFA on 23/04/2013.

Nicolas Leoz, 84, underwent a fourth operation on his heart in 2012 and has been advised by doctors not to travel. He as announced that at the end of April he would step down from his role as President of CONMEBOL, a role he has maintained since 1986.

Leoz has now officially renounced his position as member of FIFA's executive committee, the body to which he has belonged since 1998.

"I feel very good mentally, says Paraguayan. The problem is physical. Trips were already a problem. I'm at an age where I have to make room for younger people."

Nicolas Leoz's has been quoted in several corruption cases.

In 2010, the BBC was accused of having received bribes from ISL, the former marketing partner of FIFA, which went bankrupt in 2001.

In 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry was told that the Paraguayan had demanded a knighthood in…