STOCKHOLM (REUTERS) - Lennart Johansson, a Swede who presided over European football for 17 years as its new Champions League turned into a global commercial juggernaut, has died after a short illness aged 89, Sweden's football association said on Wednesday (June 5).
The president of European football governing body Uefa from 1990 to 2007 was a driving force behind the formation of the Champions League, giving the continent's top club competition a new identity, a catchy anthem and worldwide reach.
Later the same day, former Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino was re-elected Fifa president unopposed at the congress of world football's governing body in Paris, as he claimed to have turned the organisation from being "toxic and almost criminal" back to its core values.
His re-election was marked by a round of applause from the congress after the statutes were changed earlier in the day to no longer require a vote if there was only one candidate for the position.
The 49-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer now has a four-year mandate to try and accomplish his grandiose plans for football which were partly frustrated in his first term.
He has been in charge of Fifa since February 2016, after succeeding Sepp Blatter in the wake of a damaging corruption scandal that Infantino claimed the body had now shaken off.
Johansson's reign at Uefa had seen huge revenue streams flow into the continent's big clubs, turning Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and others into multi-billion dollar enterprises, and their players into global megastars.
"World football will be always be grateful to him for all he has achieved for the beautiful game," Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
The Swedish FA said Swedish football was in mourning.
Johansson took over the top job in European football at a turbulent time when money from television coverage was flooding into the sport and players gained complete freedom to move between countries and clubs in Europe.
"It was not a given that Uefa would be successful in meeting all these dramatic changes," the Swedish FA said.
"The Champions League became an enormous success, but Lennart Johansson's other major achievement was finding a fragile balance between the big clubs' demands and the needs of the broader football family."
Johansson ran against Blatter to head football's world governing body Fifa in an acrimonious vote in 1998 but lost. The Swiss, who led Fifa for 17 years, is now serving a six-year ban from football for unethical conduct.
The men remained rivals. The Swedish FA quoted Johansson as saying: "It is my 20-year fight with Blatter that people like."
Blatter's successor, Infantino, who worked earlier in his career under Johansson at Uefa, called the Swede "a friend and an invaluable source of wisdom and inspiration".
"Lennart has always been a role model of professionalism and, more importantly, of humanity," he said.
In 2007, Johansson stepped down as Uefa president after being beaten in an election by former France international Michel Platini. Johansson was given the title honorary president, a role which he took seriously, even attending meetings in his wheelchair.
Johansson was a lifelong supporter and honorary president of Stockholm club AIK.
In Paris, Infantino said Fifa's previously precarious financial situation was now looking rosy with the organisation's budget increased from US$5 billion to US$6.4 billion (S$8.73 billion) and reserves up from US$1 billion to US$2.75 billion.
This was despite increased spending on development projects in Fifa's 211 member associations. Fifa spent US$1.1 billion in the period 2015-18 and will increase the sum to US$1.75 billion from 2019-2022, he added.
BUENOS AIRES (REUTERS) - Argentina have appointed 80-year-old former coach Cesar Luis Menotti as director of national teams, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said on Monday (Jan 14).. Read
Menotti named Argentina's director of national teams
adtest.supersport.com/football/argentina/news/190115/Menotti_named_Argentinas_director_of_national_teams
Argentina have appointed 80-year-old former coach Cesar Luis Menotti as director of national teams, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said on Monday. Menotti, who led Argentina to their first World Cup title in 1978, will be charged with overseeing the 10-year plan unveiled last November to finding a "footballing identity" for the two
80-year-old Menotti named director of Argentina's national
Opening times for Next chains nationwide in the UK page. Enter your location and find out when your local chain stores are open, including address and contact details.
In the next hours | WordReference Forums
Pep impressed by toffees. Sergio Aguero, back in training, is set to return to the Manchester City line-up for their next game against Everton. The champions host the Toffees at the Etihad looking
Everton 4-0 Manchester City: Pep's Citizens dismantled by
Solskjaer boosted by Mourinho's work, claims Van Gaal. Van Gaal's claims seem at odds with the more entertaining football played by United since Solskjaer started a reign that looks set to
Solskjaer boosted by Mourinho's work, claims Van Gaal | The
Qatar coach Felix Sanchez has vowed to "isolate" his players from politics at the Asian Cup, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates during a diplomatic crisis between the countries.
Qatar coach to 'isolate' team from Gulf politics at Asian Cup
Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman said on Tuesday the club will pay the fee for striker Emiliano Sala if they are contractually required to do so. Sala had signed for the Premier League side and was flying to his new team from his old club Nantes in France when his plane went missing over the Channel on January 21.
Cardiff to pay Sala fee if necessary - Report | New Straits
Missed chance for Reds, Football News & Top Stories - The
Free live screenings of Champions League final. More than 1,000 fans turned up at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) in November last year to watch a live screening of Singapore's AFF Suzuki Cup group match
Free live screenings of Champions League final | World Sports
worldsportstale.com/soccer/free-live-screenings-of-champions-league-final/
Free live screenings of Champions League final 05/30/2019 Comments Off on Free live screenings of Champions League final Those in search of a loud and lively atmosphere to watch Sunday morning's (Singapore time) Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham will have several options in Singapore.
On sale now: Champions League final live screening tickets
Singapore Football News - ALBIREX NIIGATA v HOME UNITED (Saturday, 8pm, Jurong East Stadium) After an excellent run of form saw them emerge as possible challengers Read more at
Boys & Girls Club of America Programs BGCA has had a long and proud partnership with the military. 460+ Military Youth Centers have benefited from this great partnership. All military youth centers worldwide are affiliated with BGCA. 530,000 + military youth served. Youth Programs offers the following BGCA clubs to JBSA Randolph youth.
Positive Youth Development | Youth.gov
May 03, 2019 · Jan Vertonghen is set to sit out Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League trip to Bournemouth as he gets over the heavy clash with team-mate Toby Alderweireld that forced him out of the Champions
Vertonghen to see neurologist over head injury - Pulse Nigeria
Wasteful Barca held to goalless draw at defiant Lyon LYON, France (Reuters) - Barcelona were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Olympique Lyonnais in their Champions League last-16 first leg on
Wasteful Barca held to goalless draw at defiant Olympique
Neymar to miss United tie after being ruled out for 10 weeks tie against Manchester United after the French club confirmed on Wednesday that the world's most expensive player would be out for
Neymar to miss United tie after being ruled out for 10 weeks
0 comments:
Post a Comment