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.
Valencia stroll into Europa semis with Villarreal win 19/04/2019 Oman Observer VALENCIA: Valencia eased into the Europa League semifinals for the first time in five years with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to fellow Spaniards Villarreal in heavy rain on Thursday for a resounding 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
Valencia vs. Villarreal - Football Match Report - April 19
tv5.espn.com/football/report?gameId=538709
Valencia eased into the semifinals of the Europa League for the first time in five years with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to fellow Spanish side Villarreal in heavy rain on Thursday for a resounding 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
Valencia stroll into Europa semis with Villarreal win - Reuters
Football: Spurs to trigger Alderweireld contract extension, says Pochettino LONDON (REUTERS) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said the club will activate a one-year extension in defender Toby Alderweireld's contract to keep him at the club until 2020.
Spurs to trigger Alderweireld contract extension, says
ST. LOUIS -- The Major League season is certainly a marathon, but the Reds are barely away from the starting line and have already seen their course littered with empty rallies and lost opportunity. Pushing runs in during clutch time has already eluded the Reds early and often, and Monday's 5-3
Reds split doubleheader after missed chances | FOX Sports
Anumanthan signed for Home United in mid 2017 due to National Service commitments and featured his first game for the protectors against his former club Hougang United in October later that year. He went on to score his first goal for the club against rivals Warriors FC in a 2-1 loss.
Toyota operating profit growth to drop this year on revenue slip
Tottenham Hotspur showed why manager Mauricio Pochettino is a wanted man by thrashing Everton 6-2 at Goodison Park on Sunday to close to within six points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Spurs shine to hit Everton for six - Daily Nation
From Madrid - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Roberto Firmino is fit to feature in the Champions League final clash with Tottenham on Saturday night. Firmino missed Liverpool's
The Tunisian side were leading 1-0 in the second leg of the final and 2-1 overall when play was halted, and after a 90-minute delay the referee awarded the match to the home side.
Tunisian club win African title after final abandoned over VAR
The England national football team has competed at the FIFA World Cup since 1950. The FIFA World Cup is the premier competitive international football tournament, first played in 1930, whose finals stage has been held every four years since, except 1942 and 1946, due to the Second World War.
Photo - Premier League
Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Sassuolo forward Kevin-Prince Boateng on a six-month loan deal with an €8 million Barcelona set to complete shock Boateng loan move. Trending News.
Milan - Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus will play the pre-season International Champions Cup in Asia and not in the United States amid the Portugal star's rape investigation there, the New York Times
Ronaldo, Juve will not travel to US amid rape investigaton
It's off to all the races as Harrah's offers full-card Philadelphia simulcasting of both thoroughbred and standardbred signals, seven days a week. Harrah's Philadelphia Racetrack and Casino also provides a state-of-the-art indoor wagering area with plenty of seating and simulcast video options.
The Observer Premier League Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email More than 30 years have elapsed since Watford embarked on their one and only campaign in Uefa competition but maybe
Deeney and Deulofeu seal Watford win at West Ham
0 comments:
Post a Comment