Ex-FIFA prez Havelange dies at 100 – Reputation damaged by corruption

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This file photo taken on Aug 6, 1997 shows then President of the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) Joao Havelange speaking during a press conference where he announced Aug 7 in Rio de Janeiro, the participation of the the Brazilain national soccer team in the 1998 World Cup competition in France. (AFP)
This file photo taken on Aug 6, 1997 shows then President of the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) Joao Havelange speaking during a press conference where he announced Aug 7 in Rio de Janeiro, the participation of the the Brazilain national soccer team in the 1998 World Cup competition in France. (AFP)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 16, (AP): Joao Havelange, who as president of FIFA for two decades transformed soccer’s governing body into a multibillion-dollar business and a hotbed for subsequent corruption that damaged its reputation, has died. He was 100. Havelange, who was suffering from a respiratory infection, died early Tuesday while Rio de Janeiro was hosting the Olympic Games, according to the Samaritano Hospital.

In 2009, Havelange led off Rio’s bid presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen by inviting the members to vote to “join me in celebrating my 100th birthday” at the 2016 Games in Brazil. An IOC statement said its thoughts were with Havelange’s family, adding: “The IOC has agreed to a request from the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee to allow the Brazilian flag to be flown at half-mast during the day in Olympic venues.” Havelange expanded the World Cup from 16 to 32 teams and made it one of sports’ most important events. He organized six World Cups as FIFA president from 1974 to 1998, when Sepp Blatter replaced him. He secured lucrative broadcast deals, brought nations into FIFA and created the women’s World Cup. With more cash for football also came widespread financial wrongdoing by its top officials, including Havelange. In 2013, FIFA ethics court judge Joachim Eckert said Havelange’s conduct had been “morally and ethically reproachable.” Havelange was never punished. He was allowed to resign his honorary presidency of FIFA in 2013.

Prior to that, Havelange resigned in December 2011 as a member of the IOC just days before its leadership was expected to suspend him and rule on claims that he took a $1 million kickback. Three of FIFA’s most notorious officials — his former son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira, Chuck Blazer and Jack Warner — joined FIFA’s executive committee during Havelange’s presidency. All three were subsequently swept up in corruption investigations by Swiss and US authorities last year that also brought the end of Blatter’s 17-year presidency. Havelange was implicated with Teixeira in taking millions of dollars in kickbacks from World Cup broadcasting contracts.

Both left FIFA between 2012 and 2013 to avoid sanctions from the soccer body’s ethics committee. Teixeira has been indicted by the US Justice Department on corruption charges but has stayed out of reach of American investigators, remaining in Brazil, which typically does not extradite its citizens. Havelange was cited as a personal hero in soccer by Blazer, the most senior US official at FIFA and his former executive committee colleague. Blazer’s testimony admitting widespread corruption charges was key to the sprawling US investigation implicating FIFA. Blazer is seriously ill and awaiting sentencing. Warner, a longtime Havelange ally, also is indicted and is fighting extradition to the US from his native Trinidad and Tobago

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