João Havelange | |
---|---|
Havelange in 2010
|
|
7th President of FIFA | |
In office 8 May 1974 – 8 June 1998 |
|
Preceded by | Stanley Rous |
Succeeded by | Sepp Blatter |
Personal details | |
Born |
Jean-Marie Faustin Godefroid de Havelange 8 May 1916 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Died | 16 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
(aged 100)
Cause of death | Respiratory tract infection |
Nationality | Brazilian |
Alma mater | Fluminense Federal University |
Occupation | Lawyer |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Signature |
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Men's Water polo | ||
Pan American Games | ||
1951 Buenos Aires | Team |
Jean-Marie Faustin Godefroid "João" de Havelange (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒuˈɐ̃w aviˈlɐ̃ʒi]; 8 May 1916 – 16 August 2016) was a Brazilian lawyer, businessman, and athlete who served as the seventh President of FIFA from 1974 to 1998. His tenure as President is the second longest in FIFA's history, behind only that of Jules Rimet. He received the title of Honorary President when leaving office, but resigned in April 2013. He succeeded Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Sepp Blatter. João Havelange served as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1963 to 2011. He was the longest-serving active member upon his resignation. In July 2012 a Swiss prosecutor's report revealed that, during his tenure on FIFA's Executive Committee, he and his son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira took more than $41 million in bribes in connection with the award of World Cup marketing rights.
Havelange was born on 8 May 1916, in Rio de Janeiro, to an affluent family; his father, Faustin Havelange, had immigrated to Brazil from Belgium, worked as an arms dealer, and owned a large estate that stretched along the present-day districts of Laranjeiras, Cosme Velho and Santa Teresa. An excellent student at school, Havelange was accepted to the prestigious Law School of Fluminense Federal University, from which he graduated at the age of 24 with a PhD in Law. He worked as a legal advisor for bus company Auto Viação Jabaquara, and became president-director of another bus company, Viação Cometa S/A. He was also senior partner at chemical and metallurgical company Orwec Química e Metallurgia Ltda.