Disgraced former football official Jack Warner has paid a heartfelt tribute to former FIFA president Joao Havelange, who died aged 100 in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
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After serving 24 years as head of FIFA, Havelange resigned as its honorary president amid corruption allegations against him and others in 2013.
Havelange was president of the Brazilian Sports Confederation for 15 years and joined the Brazilian Olympic Committee in 1955, then the IOC in 1963 where he would remain until 2011.
While FIFA president, Havelange expanded the World Cup finals, growing the field of teams from 16 to 32 and helping to make it the largest sporting event in the world. “Not too bad, I’d say”.
“It must be questioned, however, whether President Blatter knew or should have known over the years before the bankruptcy of ISL that ISL had made payments to other Federation Internationale de Football Association officials”. I think this is something that will be [judged by] history, that will naturally always put something [about the scandal], but let him (rest) in peace now.
The related report on the XINHUA NEWS attracted over 1,300 replies of which “Be a wise man” wrote: “His life is completed”.
The son of a Belgian father and a Brazilian mother, Havelange was a top-notch athlete before becoming a sports administrator.
Later, Havelange won a bronze medal in the sport of water polo with the Brazilian team at the 1951 Pan American Games and also represented Brazil in water polo at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
The Brazilian was replaced by his general secretary Sepp Blatter as President, with his 24-years in office the second longest spell in charge of the organisation, behind Jules Rimet.
Havelange’s son-in-law, Ricardo Teixeira, also served as president of the CBF and oversaw two further World Cup successes in 1994 and 2002, before facing a series of allegations of corruption, which he denied.
Havelange had a heart pacemaker implanted in 2006.
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Samaritano was where Havelange had been treated for pneumonia in July.
