FRANKFURT: Fritz Keller, the latest in an ever-lengthening line of blundering DFB presidents, is resigning as head of the German football federation after comparing his vice-president with a Nazi judge

Keller announced his departure after a long meeting of the directors of a DFB which is in chaos after months of tensions between the president, vice-president Rainer Koch and secretary-general Friedrich Curtiuos.

Last week Keller insulted Koch by comparing him to Rolf Freisler, the head judge responsible for 2,600 death sentences in the Nazi era.

Keller later apologised and said he would not resign. However a DFB statement has clarified that he will step down on Monday when Curtius is also expected to be dismissed.

The two vice presidents, Koch and Peter Peters, will continue until elections early next year.

Keller, a former president of Bundesliga club Freiburg, was appointed in September 2019 in succession to Reinhard Grindel who resigned after accepting a luxury watch amid allegations of undeclared earnings.

Predecessors Wolfgang Niersbach and Theo Zwanziger had both been forced out amid allegations of corruption concerning Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid

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