Soccer-Napout takes over at CONMEBOL, Figueredo heads for FIFA

ASUNCION, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Paraguay's Juan Angel Napout took over as president of South American soccer'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, 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. (Reporting by Daniela Desantis; Writing by Rex Gowar; Editing by Ken Ferris)