RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Former president of FIFA, Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid Havelange, better known as Joao Havelange, died on Tuesday at the age of 100 years.
The information was published earlier this morning by Brazil's Band News. The Samaritano Hospital in Rio de Janeiro confirmed Havelange died early Tuesday, while Rio is hosting the Olympic Games.
According to John Mansur, doctor of Havelange, the former leader was suffering from a lung infection, which has worsened and spread to a generalized infection, causing the death. The funeral will take place in the cemetery of St. John the Baptist, in Rio. The time is not yet confirmed.
As the president of FIFA for 24 years, Havelange, born on May 8, 1916, was hospitalized from time to time in recent months with respiratory problems. He was also hospitalized in July in Rio because of pneumonia.
Havelange played an important role in Rio's bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games. He welcomed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Copenhagen in 2009 by inviting the members to vote to "join me in celebrating my 100th birthday" at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
The Engenhao stadium in Rio, where the athletics competition of the Rio Olympic Games is currently underway, was named in his honor. But the organizers changed the name of the stadium to Olympic Stadium before the Olympics.
Havelange led FIFA for 24 years between 1974 and 1998 before being succeeded by Sepp Blatter. Meanwhile he also served as a member of the IOC from 1963 to 2011.
However the Brazilian figure has been embroiled in controversy in recent years. He resigned from the IOC in 2011, citing unspecified health problems. By stepping down he avoided a possible suspension for allegedly taking kickbacks from former FIFA marketing partner ISL. He became the longest-serving active member upon his resignation.
After his IOC resignation, he was also forced to resign as FIFA's honorary president, a title he received when leaving FIFA office.
