Rio de Janeiro: Tributes have poured in for world football governing body FIFA’s former president Joao Havelange, who has died aged 100.
Advertisement
Brazilian Havelange was at the head of world football’s governing body between 1974 and 1998 as it seventh president and is now the only non-European to have served in the position. New tournaments were launched, including the Women’s World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and world championships for the under-17 and under-20 level.
However, Havelange had been in and out of hospital in recent months with respiratory problems and as recently as July he was hospitalized with pneumonia.
The stadium used for track and field during these Olympics is officially named the Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium, although organising officials removed his name for the Games, simply calling it “Olympic Stadium”.
The hospital said in a statement that Havelange died on Tuesday morning, but did not state cause of death. He swam for Brazil at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and played on its water polo team at the Helsinki Games in 1952.
He also resigned from the International Olympic Committee in December 2011 after 48 years on similar grounds. In 1955, he became a member of the Brazilian National Olympic Committee, a post he held until 1963 when he was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee. During his presidency, three former top officials, now disgraced for their involvement in corruption, Ricardo Teixeira, Chuck Blazer and Jack Warner, joined the governing body’s executive committee.
He was being investigated by the IOC Ethics Commission at the time he left the IOC. “Not too bad, I’d say”.
“I did not become president of FIFA just to watch good football and applaud”, Havelange said just before making way for Blatter. His legacy was marred by allegations of receiving millions in kickbacks via the now defunct Swiss-based sports marketing firm ISL/ISMM. “The only country I never visited was Afghanistan, because they wouldn’t let me in”.
Advertisement
In 1974 he succeeded Britain’s Sir Stanley Rous to be elected Federation Internationale de Football Association president, marshalling support among those unhappy at the perceived European domination of the world governing body.
