German football mourns for Egidius Braun. The former President of the German Football Confederation died in the night of Wednesday at the age of 97 years. This was announced by the DFB.

“Today is a sad day for all footballers and footballers in Germany and Europe. With Egidius Braun we lose a special person who has used the possibilities of football just for those who need support and attention. In particular, the worry drifted In need of children and adolescents in need, “said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf.

Braun began his official career in football as president of the Association Mittelrhein 1973 at the age of 48 years. In 1977 he became treasurer of the DFB. After 15 years in the office, he rose to the eighth president of the world’s strongest football association in the world. He stayed until 28 April 2001 DFB boss.

Moves by impressions in the orphanage “Casa de Cuna” in Queretaro during the 1986 World Cup founded Braun the Mexico Help. In 2013 he received the merit order “Águila Azteca” from Mexican Ambassador, the highest order Mexico for foreign persons who are not politicians.

“The social conscience of German football”

Since 2001, there is the Egidius Braun Foundation, which today hosts a benefit international country every two years. Braun’s motto: “Football – more than a 1-0.” For Wolfgang Niersbach, one of his successors, Egidius Braun “was the social conscience of German football.”

In his term of office, “Father Braun” experienced a title: the EM victory 1996. The impressions of the World Championships of his term are clouded. In 1994, Braun National Player Stefan Effenberg sent to his stinking finger against the fans home. Even much heavier depressed brown the events in 1998, as German Hooligans in Lens rioted and seriously injured the French police officers Daniel Nivel.

Braun was passionate hunter and fan of Alemannia Aachen. He had studied law and philosophy and made a name for himself before his career at the DFB as a potato wholesaler. In 2006, brown suffered a stroke. As a result, he rarely occurred in public.