FIFA takes control of Uruguayan football association

Montevideo : World football governing body FIFA has taken over the running of the Uruguayan football association, AUF and will oversee a transparent election for a new president, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) said.

The AUF was engulfed in a crisis in July when Wilmar Valdez abruptly quit the presidency just hours before a vote in which he was expected to be re-elected, Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.

Valdez cited family reasons for his decision, denying media reports that it was related to mysterious audio recordings about a stadium security contract that compromised his image.

An attempt to proceed with an election failed because two of the candidates did not meet Conmebol requirements.

In a letter sent to the AUF and confirmed by Conmebol, FIFA said it would bring the association's statutes in line with its own rules before holding a new election.

"The mandate of the regularization committee will run until Feb 28, 2019," the letter said. "The regularization committee will act as an electoral commission whose decision will be firm."

The AUF impasse has prevented Uruguay from renewing the contract of coach Oscar Tabarez. The country's under-20 coach, Fabian Coito, will take charge of the Celeste in a friendly against Mexico next month.