Platini tribute to Sprengers

UEFA President Michel Platini has offered the condolences of UEFA and the European football family for the loss of Mathieu Sprengers, who died on Sunday.

Tribute
A ceremony in memory of the president of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and UEFA Executive Committee member was held on Wednesday at the De Koel stadium, home of VVV Venlo, where Sprengers was president for ten years between 1980 and 1990. Alongside KNVB general secretary Harry Been, Mr Platini presented a bouquet of flowers as a mark of respect and paid tribute to Sprengers' work for Dutch and European football.

Shock
Sprengers passed away aged 69 after a short illness on Sunday, leaving his many friends and colleagues in the Netherlands in shock. A football administrator known for his generosity and sense of humour, Sprengers became famous in the Dutch game during his time as president of Venlo. After serving on the national association's finance and licensing committees, he became KNVB president in 1993. During the course of his tenure, the Netherlands co-hosted UEFA EURO 2000™ as well as the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Dutch stadiums also staged the 1998 UEFA Champions League final and the 2002 and 2006 UEFA Cup finals. Sprengers first worked with UEFA on the Youth Committee between 1994 and 1996 and subsequently held a variety of posts.