The president of the German Football Association 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 watch from Hryhoriy Surkis, a UEFA vice-president and honorary president of the Ukrainian football federation.
“I am stepping down from the position of DFB president, and I apologise for my less than exemplary behaviour regarding my acceptance of a watch,” said Grindel.
Surkis sat alongside Grindel on the executive committee of European football’s governing body UEFA until last February. Yet Grindel denied that he had been given the watch for political reasons.
“For me this was an entirely private gift which I was bound to accept out of politeness,” he said.
“I did not have any idea how expensive the watch was and it was a grave oversight on my part not to find out. In doing so, I could have avoided the impression that I was acting inappropriately.”
Grindel said that Surkis had “no economic interest in the DFB”.
“I am deeply shaken to have to give up my role as DFB president over such an issue,” Grindel said.
“I ask myself, ‘why has this happened?’ I can only say that I was completely convinced that I was doing nothing wrong and that, in the stress of my position, I did not question myself enough.”
Grindel’s resignation was welcomed by former Germany midfielder LotharMatthaeus.
“The DFB have made some bad judgements under Grindel’s leadership in the last few months. A new face is urgently needed,” Matthaeus told Sky.
