Napout takes over at CONMEBOL, Figueredo heads for FIFA

ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay’s Juan Angel Napout took over as president of South American football's governing body CONMEBOL in place of Uruguayan Eugenio Figueredo who is replacing the late Julio Grondona as a FIFA vice-president.

Grondona, who died last week aged 82 after 35 years as president of the Argentine FA, was FIFA's senior vice-president.

“This is a huge challenge for me because to reach (the presidency of) the South American Football Confederation is the biggest dream there is,” Napout, who heads the Paraguayan FA (APF), said on Friday.

“We know a lot of things are expected of us but we have the confidence (to see them through)... I’m quite ready for this,” Napout told a news conference at CONMEBOL headquarters in Asuncion.

Figueredo took the chair at CONMEBOL in April 2013 when Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz, who had been in the position for 27 years, resigned citing health reasons but was also being investigated by FIFA's ethics committee.

Napout, who said his mandate was until May 2015, explained that CONMEBOL took the decision on Friday at the request of FIFA who wanted Grondona's replacement named as soon as possible.

“Luis (Bedoya), Marco (Polo del Nero) and Eugenio are those who will represent us at FIFA,” he said referring to the CONMEBOL board members on FIFA’s executive committee.

Bedoya, named to FIFA's executive committee on Friday, is head of the Colombian Federation (FCF) and Brazilian Del Nero, a member since 2012, is vice-president of the Brazilian confederation (CBF).

“I, as one more soldier, will be accompanying them to set objectives and keep defending the prestige of South America,” added Napout.

Venezuela's Rafael Esquivel was promoted to CONMEBOL vice-president, joining Bedoya and Chile's Sergio Jadue in the position.

The 56-year-old Napout, president of the APF since 2007, has been under fire after Paraguay’s poor qualifying campaign for this year’s World Cup finals in neighbouring Brazil.

Paraguay, who reached the quarter-finals at the previous tournament in South Africa in 2010, finished bottom of the nine-nation South American group with three wins in 16 matches under three different coaches.

(Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Rex Gowar; Editing by Ken Ferris)