FRANCE 98 – Fernand Sastre

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Fernand Sastre
1923 – 1998
President of FRANCE 98 

Land Registrar.
Secretary General of the French Football Federation (1969-1972)
President of the French Football Federation (1973-1984)
Honorary President of the French Football Federation (1984)
Vice-President of the French National Olympics and Sports Committee (1982-1984)
Member of the Organising Committee of the European Championship of the Nations (1975-1984)
Member of the Organising Committee of the 1994 and 1998 World Cups
Co-President of the French Bidding Committee for the organisation of the 1998 World Cup (1989-1992)
Co-President of the French Organising Committee of the 1998 Cup (since 1992) 

Under the Presidency of Fernand Sastre: 

  • The FFF organised the final tournament of the 1984 European Championship of the Nations; 
  • The French team participated in the final tournament: 
    • of the 1978 World Cup in Argentina; 
    • of the 1982 World Cup in Spain (semi-final); 
    • of the 1984 European Championship of the Nations (winner). 
  • The selected national olympic team won the 1984 Olympic Games tournament in Los Angeles. 

13 June 1998

President Fernand SASTRE passed away today

The French Organising Committee for the FRANCE 98 World Cup and FIFA are in mourning. President Fernand SASTRE passed away today.

For 10 years, Fernand SASTRE worked tirelessly and without counting the cost for FRANCE to host the 16th World Cup. At the head of the Bid Committee and then as President of the French Organising Committee, Fernand SASTRE imagined, designed and built what today is FRANCE 98. His dream had become a reality.

Today, the World of football and FRANCE 98 has lost a great leader and a man of rare human qualities.

Fernand SASTRE : football loses a great leader

When, on 2 July 1992 in Zurich, FIFA President Joao HAVELANGE officially announced to the French delegation that FRANCE had been chosen by the Executive Committee to host the last World Cup of the century, Fernand SASTRE’s kindly face lit up. No emotional outpourings for this man with the imposing build, but rather an immense inner joy. The highest authorities for the world’s number one sport had just crowned the career of one of French football’s greatest personalities.

This World Cup that was to become FRANCE 98, the last great sporting event of the century, had got off to a flying start. It was to have Fernand SASTRE’s stamp on it. With the official launching of France’s candidature bid, Fernand SASTRE was meeting one final challenge, that of seeing a cherished dream come true: FRANCE, FIFA’s founding fatherland, was being rewarded for services rendered to football. The World Cup was coming home. Bad luck and destiny, however, intervened to prevent this “mover of mountains” from taking part in launching the great event that he had built with enthusiasm, energy and skill, despite numerous obstacles, difficulties and the immensity of the task.

It was no accident either, that Fernand SASTRE and his alter ego Michel PLATINI found themselves working shoulder to shoulder at the head of the French Organising Committee (CFO) to help ensure that FRANCE 98 would be as good as it could possibly be. Everybody still remembers how the two men, linked by a single destiny, embraced at a euphoric Parc des Princes on the evening of FRANCE’s triumph in the European Nations Cup in 1984. As President of the French Football Federation (FFF) between 1973 and 1984, Fernand SASTRE had every reason to be satisfied: EURO 84 had been a total success from an organisational point of view, FRANCE now possessed top-quality football stadiums and the tournament had been an enormous popular success. And as if that weren’t enough, Michel PLATINI, the French captain who scored nine goals in the tournament, lifted the cup for FRANCE. It was the first trophy to go into an otherwise empty cabinet.

During Fernand SASTRE’s term as President, FRANCE also took part in the 1978 World Cup in ARGENTINA and 1982 in SPAIN, where they reached the semi-finals. FRANCE also won the Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles in 1984. During his 11 years as head of the FFF, this “pied noir” (European Algerian), whose first management responsibilities were with a small club in the suburbs of Algiers, had helped France establish itself as one of Europe’s finest footballing nations where first class facilities were to be found. Listened to and respected, Fernand SASTRE spoke out against and denounced the wayward ways of professional football and its too great preoccupation with profit, when it came to organising big international competitions. He fought tooth and nail all his life for sporting values to be upheld, regardless of the size of the competition.

Joao HAVELANGE and Fernand SASTRE were great friends for many years. In according FRANCE the honour of hosting the 1998 World Cup, the first to feature 32 teams and 64 games, the FIFA President was giving instance of all the affection he felt for his friend Fernand SASTRE. He was also providing solid proof of the great confidence he had in his ally. In passing away before he was able to see his greatest work played out, Fernand SASTRE leaves an enormous void behind him. He will be remembered by all those involved with football as a truly great leader of men.

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