Grindel voted new DFB president

Reinhard Grindel has promised more "fair play" and "integrity" after being voted the new German Football Association (DFB) president, succeeding Wolfgang Niersbach.

Niersbach resigned his position in November amid controversy over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup.

Politician Grindel - a member of Germany's parliament - subsequently earned the majority of votes from delegates at a DFB extraordinary general meeting on Friday.

And the 54-year-old - who previously acted as the governing body's treasurer - promised to improve the DFB's internal workings.

"With the new DFB we must apply what football should be about," he said. "We need fair play and we need integrity.

"To ensure this, we need to improve our internal controls.

"It is a great honour to be able to take on this responsibility. The DFB has some defining tasks ahead, which I would like to take on together with my colleagues on board and the presidential board, as well as the full-time staff at our headquarters.

"I'm delighted with the vote and, as a result, the trust placed in my by the amateur and professional branches of German football.

"I see my role as harmonising the interests of the two. As president, I plan to further strengthen the unity of football."

In November, investigators searched the premises of the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt, as well as the homes of Niersbach, his predecessor Theo Zwanziger and former general secretary Horst Schmidt amid allegations the hosting rights for the 2006 World Cup were earned by corrupt means.