Nicolás Léoz Almirón (born September 10, 1928 in Pirizal, Chaco Paraguayo, Paraguay) is the current President of CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol, South American Football Confederation). Léoz assumed the presidency in 1986 (succeeding Teófilo Salinas Fuller) and in February 2006 he was reelected as President for the sixth time. He is Paraguayan and he is Colombian from 2008.

Before his position as President of the CONMEBOL, Léoz was President of the Justice Department of the Paraguayan Basketball Confederation (1957-1959), President of Paraguayan Soccer Club Libertad (1969-1970 and 1974-1977), President of the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (1971-1973 and 1979-1985) and Vice President of the CONMEBOL (1972-1974 and 1980-1986). Son of Gregory Leoz Latorre (born Navarre Spain) and Patron Almirón Bogarín (born Luque Paraguay) daughter of then judge Peace Luque.

His brothers Guillermo, Pomposa, Sara, Eusebio, Cesar, Modesto and Maria Teresa. He also has 2 brothers, Isidore and Cesareo from his father when he married Eudosia Carmen Zorrilla who lived in the Argentina.

'His paternal great-grandparents' were Leoz Ramon Manuel and Manuela Guinda Baztam.

'His paternal grandparents' were Cesareo Leoz Guinda and Miguel Latorre.

[edit] Childhood and Youth

His childhood was spent in Pirizal, 78 km. in the industrial complex of signing Carlos Casado, on Paraguay River, Puerto Casado today Puerto La Victoria. The house was originally wood, the parental bedroom and the children had dirt floor.

His friends, Don Vicente, indigenous "Cebolla", "Maestro" and Pavón from the tribe Sanapaná and the chieftain Remigio. Accompanied by his Indian friends and Piro-y and Gonzalez-í linker and dangerously in the stream Mosquito to alligators and playing in the stream Mieres Cué, on which his father contracted the carpenter Don Vera to build a bridge of “quebracho”, also useful for the Mennonites. He met Emiliano R. Fernandez, who worked as obrajero in Pirizal and who later would become a great poet. He moved to the port by train and Asunción in two small boats "Toro" and "Anita Barthe."

He and his brother Eusebio studied in the early days at school in Puerto Casado, his brother William got an award at College San José, Asunción, he later followed him. His sisters Pomposa and Sara did so at the College Providencia. In 1938 his family moved to Asunción on River Plate and Diaz de Solis streets.

His mother with the ideal of educating more and better controlled his report card without suffering disappointments but not very high notes but always with behaviors and cleanliness "Okay". On one occasion scored 10 and ran happy to show her mother and she said "it is true, son, is a 10 (ten) but… in gymnastics." There he realized that such a young age because he liked the sport, while every Sunday with his brothers Cesar and Modesto used to go to Atlántida stadium to the soccer matches.

One time the brothers had no money for their tickets, but eager to see the game in any way, observed a man with a huge bag and was approached to ask him if he was the club's Libertad helper and attached to it reached the gate and told the cashier "We belong to club Libertad" and they were admitted to see the game. He would be Mr. Jose Dimas Larrosa, great arbiter of football Paraguay.

She began working at the age of 14 with Bernardo Ismajovich selling combs and articles for women.

Her daughters are at first marriage Nora Cecilia and Celeste; Thalia and their granddaughters Sofia and her grandson Mauricio.

In remarriage marries Maria Clemencia Perez, a Colombian lady with whom he has two sons Josué Nicolás and Mateo Nicolás, and who fervently admires as the ideal partner with whom every man dreams, and though to honor the traditions of their homeland loves to Paraguay through the love of her husband and their children, accepting patience with the intense public activity that corresponds to a large social and cultural agenda of a man with endless travel.

The first link with the football player was as inferior as "half right" in the club Atlántida.

[edit] Trajectory

And also…

• Doctor “Honoris causa” from Universidad of Río de Janeiro, Brazil.

• Member of Honor of the Universidad Nacional of San Agustín of Arequipa, Perú.

[edit] Dating from his memoirs

• "… Had reached the realization of dreams that seemed impossible a short time ago, but never felt the ascent as a personal triumph, but rather a responsibility to learn and work with such conduct, honor, not only the essence idealistic sport, but also my family, and beyond, to the memory of my parents, who never stopped entrust when circumstances were difficult and the major challenges…. "

• "… By CONMEBOL…. Nothing more satisfying to see the birth, growth and progress of those institutions that put up their flags and crowds congregate in the peaceful expression of passion… sports."

• "…. Whenever it's time that men do stock existential, but the important values are not arithmetic, but spiritual. The returns are not material but moral and consist of accumulation of wealth immeasurable affection, friendship and participation… "

• "…. Words like friend, comrade, companion and colleague, beloved acquire a meaning, because all the elements to hold that man has been overcome their lives and build their destiny. After all, our lives are both built by our own effort, for friendship, solidarity and love for which we appreciate and we are encouraged… "

• "… .. When football I owe everything. A life in fullness and the opportunity to live with the greatest sports leaders of the century and have earned the friendship and appreciation of the most illustrious statesmen of the century that just ended and the beginning. I was guest of honour at humble neighborhood clubs and sumptuous palaces of sport. He narrowed his hands streets of athletes or workers and I have medals in the breasts of the major stars of world sport. And I have seen not only grow but also that he participated in the growth of football during the second half of twentieth century, as the global sports phenomenon more relevant in the history of humankind…. "

• "… Life is dignified, decent and happy, when has meant a long and generous harvest friends… .."

• "… .. I am happy to have chosen this path, then, that if re-birth, would not choose another…"

• "…. I am proud to be Paraguayan Spanish because my father and my mother Paraguayan root, taught me to love my homeland, to know their history and distressing manly, and valuing my compatriots in its human dimension… "

[edit] Notes

• News media as a scandal involving within the FIFA together with Julio Grondona who is vice president of FIFA, CSF vice-president and president of the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino. (Andrew Jennings).

|-

|