The German, vice-president of the Organising Committee for 2006 World Cup in Germany, had contested his ban which he received for failing to report possible misconduct as part of an investigation into the tournament.

The FIFA Appeals Committee ruled, however, that his conduct "constituted a violation" of two articles of the Ethics Code.

Niersbach, who resigned from his role as the head of the German Football Association (DFB) in November of last year, has now agreed to step down from his senior posts at the governing bodies of world and European football.

"I have decided not to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but rather take a personal decision to give up my positions," the 66-year-old said.

"I am still on the FIFA Council until 2019, but...I will resign immediately."

Niersbach says he has informed the DFB of his decision, as well as FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.

His mandate on the UEFA Executive Committee was due to expire in the spring of next year, but UEFA will now have to choose who to elect in his place on the FIFA Council.

A decision is set to be made at the UEFA Congress in Finland’s capital Helsinki on April 5.

Reinhard Grindel, Niersbach’s successor as DFB President, is the favourite.

"This place should not be left unoccupied in the face of many important issues," Niersbach said.

The Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee said Niersbach breached regulations involving duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting and conflict of interest.

Niersbach was found to have failed "to report findings about possible misconduct concerning the awarding of the 2006 FIFA World Cup" and the Investigatory Chamber had initially called for a two-year ban.

He was being investigated along with Franz Beckenbauer, a winner of the World Cup as a player in 1974 and then as a manager in 1990, as part of a wider probe by FIFA into how Germany secured the rights to the 2006 edition of its flagship quadrennial competition.

World football's governing body began an investigation in March of this year concerning the bid process which led to the European nation being awarded the event in July 2000.

It followed allegations that a slush fund of €6.7 million (£5.6 million/$6.9 million) was set up in order to bribe members of FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee in the 2006 World Cup bid race.

"The decision is very hard for me because I was firmly convinced that I would be able to achieve a significant reduction in my suspension," Niersbach added.

"I remain in my assessment that the judgement of the Ethics Committee was completely excessive."

The verdict on Niersbach’s appeal came after German prosecutors gained access to an encrypted data file which may contain information relating to the 2006 competition amid an ongoing criminal probe.

According to the DPA news agency, the file was entitled "Complex Jack Warner" - seemingly referring to the former FIFA official who was banned for life for corruption.

Warner was thought to have drawn up a draft agreement with the DFB during his tenure as President of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) which was allegedly made to ensure he would continue to back their campaign to host the 2006 World Cup.

Fedor Radmann, a close associate of Beckenbauer who led the bid, dismissed allegations that the agreement amounted to bribery.

The arrangement between the DFB and CONCACAF allegedly offered non-cash incentives such as tickets and friendly matches to Warner.

The German bid defeated South Africa by a narrow margin of 12 votes to 11 back in 2000 after New Zealand's Charlie Dempsey abstained from the second round of voting after stating there had been "intolerable pressure" prior to the ballot.