Brazil's president mourns former FIFA chief Joao Havelange

Brazil's interim President Michel Temer lamented on Tuesday the death of former FIFA president Joao Havelange.

Havalange died on Tuesday morning at the age of 100 in a Rio de Janeiro hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia.

"The world of sports lost one of its most important leaders," said Temer in a statement.

"Joao Havelange dedicated himself to the development of sport and especially, of our football. We lend our support to his family and friends at this painful time," he wrote.

A lawyer and businessman, Havelange long towered over FIFA as its president from 1974 to 1998, although controversy marred his time in office.

Over those 24 years, Havelange was credited for vastly growing the appeal of world football, boosting its development across every continent.

Born in Rio de Janeiro on May 8, 1916, Havelange was twice an Olympian for Brazil, first as a swimmer at the Berlin 1936 Olympics then at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics as a water polo player.

In 1956, he became the president of the former Brazilian Sports Confederation, which he led for 18 years. Over that time, he saw Brazil become three-time football world champions at the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup finals.

In 1974, he was elected as president of FIFA, a position he dominated for 24 years, organizing six World Cups and visiting over 180 countries and regions. He also pioneered the development and inception of the Women's World Cup, the U-17 World Cup and the U-20 World Cup.

In 1998, he was replaced by Switzerland's Sepp Blatter but he was soon dogged by corruption allegations.

In 2012, a report found that Havelange and his son-in-law had received a total of over 41 million U.S. dollars in bribes linked to the distribution of World Cup marketing rights.

However, the two men were never charged as the statute of limitations had expired.

Source : XINHUA