Director of communications and public affairs Walter of FIFA, De Gregorio resigned on Thursday, three days after he joked about world football’s governing body on a TV talk show.
De Gregorio was a guest for Roger Schawinski’s show on German channel SRF on Monday.
The host Schawinski while closing the show asked De Gregorio to tell his favourite joke about FIFA.
De Gregorio set up the punchline by asking who was driving if himself, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke were in a car.
After a pause for the host to comment, De Gregorio gave the answer: “The police.”
“Walter De Gregorio has decided to relinquish his office with immediate effect as Director of Communications & Public Affairs. Mr. De Gregorio joined FIFA (in) September 2011 and will serve FIFA on a consultancy basis until the end of this year,” said the official statement from FIFA.