João Havelange

Infobox_person
name=João Havelange

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birth_date=birth date and age|1916|5|8
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occupation=Former president of FIFA
nationality = flagicon|Brazil Brazilian
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Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange (born May 8, 1916), usually known as João Havelange, was the president of FIFA from 1974 to 1998.cite book | first = | last = | title = Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro Lance Volume 2 | publisher = Aretê Editorial S/A | location = Rio de Janeiro | year = 2001 | pages = 534| id = ISBN 8588651017] He succeeded Sir Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Joseph Blatter. Since 1963, João Havelange has been a member of the International Olympic Committee and is currently the longest serving active member. He was born in Rio de Janeiro.

When he was young, he succeeded in several sports, such as water polo and swimming, having even competed as a swimmer in 1936 in the Olympic Games of Berlin. He also competed in the Brazilian water polo team in the Olympic Games of 1952, in Helsinki.

Between 1958 and 1975, João Havelange served as the president of Confederação Brasileira de Desportos (CBD), and between 1955 and 1963, he was a member of the Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro (Brazilian Olympic Committee).cite web | title = Havelange se emociona com Engenhão | url=http://www.rio.rj.gov.br/rio2016/noticias_homenagem.htm | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language=Portuguese | publisher=Rio 2016 ]

In May 2006 British investigative reporter Andrew Jennings' book "Foul" (Harper Collins) caused controversy within the football world by implicating Havelange in an alleged international cash-for-contracts scandal following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner ISL, and revealed how some football officials have been urged to secretly repay the sweeteners they received.cite web | title = Livro acusa cartolas brasileiros | url=http://txt.estado.com.br/editorias/2006/05/13/esp117773.xml | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | date = 2006-05-13 |language=Portuguese | publisher=O Estado de S. Paulo ]

On June 26, 2008 João Havelange, on an interview to Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, made some quite sensational, and potentially damaging, allegations by claiming that the 1966 and 1974 World Cups were fixed so that England and Germany would win respectively.cite web | title = Havelange aponta armação em 1966 e 1974 | url=http://www.lancenet.com.br/futebol/SELECAO/noticias/08-06-26/322627.stm?havelange-aponta-armacao-em-1966-e-1974 | accessdate = 2008-06-27 | date = 2008-06-26 | language=Portuguese | publisher=Lancenet ]

Honors and awards

He has won several awards, like Cavalier of the Légion d'honneur (France), the Order of Special Merit in Sports (Brazil), the Commander of the Cavaliers of the Ordem Infante Dom Henrique (Portugal), the Cavalier of the Vasa Orden (Sweden) and the Grand Cross of Elizabeth the Catholic (Spain). In 1998, he was elected FIFA's president of honor.

On August 24, 2006 Havelange was named honorary Vice President of the Brazilian Ice Sports Confederation (CBDG) for his support in the development of winter sports in Brazil.cite web | title = João Havelange (FIFA) nomeado vice presidente da CDBG | url=http://www.cbdg.org.br/pressrealeses/28ago2006.html | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | date = 2006-08-24 |language=Portuguese | publisher=Brazilian Ice Sports Confederation ]

João Havelange holds a doctorate in Law, acquired when he was 24.cite web | title = João Havelange | url=http://biografias.netsaber.com.br/ver_biografia_c_480.html | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language=Portuguese | publisher=Netsaber ] He worked as a lawyer for Auto Viação Jabaquara, a bus company. He is also the president-director of Viação Cometa S/A, another bus company, and is the senior partner of Orwec Química e Metalurgia Ltda.cite web | title = João Havelange | url=http://guiadoscuriosos.ig.com.br/index.php?cat=4287 | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language=Portuguese | publisher=Guia dos Curiosos ]

The 2000 Brazilian Championship, won by Vasco da Gama, and organized by Clube dos 13 (which is an association of the Brazilian most traditional clubs), was called Copa João Havelange, after him.

A stadium was built for the 2007 Pan American Games which was named Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in tribute to Havelange. Also, Estádio Parque do Sabiá's formal name honors him.

Trinidad's Centre of Excellence is named after him.

References