Rio de Janeiro, Nov 27 (IANS): Brazil's Marco Polo Del Nero has relinquished his position on FIFA's executive committee, South American football's governing body Conmebol said.

He will be replaced by Fernando Sarney, who is the son of former Brazil president Jose Sarney and a Brazilian football confederation (CBF) vice president, reported Xinhua.

"Marco Polo Del Nero was asked to leave the FIFA executive committee as Conmebol's representative and he recommended Fernando Sarney as his replacement which was unanimously approved," Conmebol said in a statement on Thursday.

Del Nero, who will remain head of the CBF, has been under pressure to stand down since the May arrest of seven FIFA officials in Zurich on corruption charges.

Among those detained was Jose Maria Marin, who Del Nero replaced as CBF chief in April.

Del Nero, who was in Zurich at the time of the arrests, returned to Brazil just hours later and has not left the country since.

The 74-year-old has not been named by investigators and has denied any involvement in corruption.