François Carrard, an influential sports lawyer and former International Olympic Committee Director General who also oversaw reform initiatives for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, has died. He was 83.
His passing was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a statement released on Monday.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of François Carrard. Mr Carrard was a man with the utmost integrity and a unique ability to unite, no matter how testing the circumstances,” Infantino said, adding, “I would like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to him and send my condolences to his family, friends and all those close to him.”
A widely respected sports administrator, Carrard led the administration of the International Olympic Committee for 14 years, playing a significant role in modernizing the organization during his tenure, which ran from 1989 to 2003.
In 2015, Carrard was appointed to lead the FIFA Reform Panel in the wake of high profile corruption scandals surrounding former FIFA president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter and other figures in the organization’s senior leadership.
In addition to his high profile roles in international sports, Carrard also figured prominently in Swiss cultural life including a stint as a director of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
