Head of Brazilian football steps down from FIFA executive

Rio de Janeiro, Nov, 27, (GNA/dpa) - The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) stepped down Thursday from his position in FIFA's Executive Committee, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) said.

Marco Polo Del Nero, the head of Brazilian football, has come under fire for his alleged ties to corruption.

He is to be replaced by one of his vice presidents, Fernando Sarney, Conmebol said. The daily Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper described Sarney as a close ally of Del Nero.

Del Nero's resignation as Conmebol's representative in the FIFA Executive Committee was announced at the end of a meeting of the South American confederation's executive committee Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.

Del Nero is reportedly under suspicion for having ties with the corruption scandal that led to the arrest in May of seven high-level FIFA officials, six of them from the Americas.

The suspicions are based on Del Nero's close ties to his predecessor as head of the CBF, Jose Maria Marin, who was one of those arrested in connection with a bribery scandal around TV rights.

Since Marin's arrest, Del Nero has not left Brazil, meaning he did not take part in any events in his capacity as a member of FIFA's executive committee. He also missed the Copa America in Chile in June and Brazil's recent World Cup qualification matches.

The Brazilian sports website GloboEsporte reported that Del Nero resigned after other Conmebol officials complained about his failure to attend official events. However, Conmebol did not provide the reasons for his resignation.

GNA