Wolfgang Niersbach, the president of the German soccer federation, resigned on Monday amid scrutiny over a payment to FIFA, saying that he was taking “political responsibility” but that he had not done anything wrong and stressing that his resignation was a personal decision.
The payment, in connection with the 2006 World Cup in Germany, has led to a tax-evasion inquiry involving Niersbach and two other former top-ranking federation officials. Niersbach, 64, who has been the president of the federation, known as the D.F.B., since 2012, is also a member of the executive committees of FIFA and UEFA. He had been seen as a possible successor to Michel Platini as UEFA’s president.