FIFA director of communications De Gregorio to leave office

Walter De Gregorio, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs gestures during a news conference at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA's director of communications Walter de Gregorio is to relinquish office with immediate effect, leaving what had become the increasingly thankless job of defending soccer's scandal-plagued governing body.

FIFA said the Swiss-Italian would, however, continue to serve on a consultancy basis until the end of the year.