MUNICH (AP) — German soccer champion Bayern Munich says former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has left its supervisory board, three years after he resigned from the automaker amid its diesel emissions scandal.

The club said the 71-year-old Winterkorn stood down on Monday after nearly 16 years as a member. It said Tuesday that Winterkorn, as former CEO of Volkswagen unit Audi, initiated Audi's partnership with Bayern and its acquisition in 2010 of an 8.33 percent stake in the club.

Bayern president and supervisory board chairman Uli Hoeness said Winterkorn had "enormous importance for FC Bayern's development in the last 16 years."

Winterkorn resigned as VW CEO in 2015 after Volkswagen was caught using illegal software to cheat on U.S. diesel emissions tests.