In entrepreneur Egidius Braun, head of the world’s largest sports association from 1992 to 2001, the DFB loses one of its outstanding personalities in the association’s 122-year history. The social responsibility of football was particularly important to Braun. “Football is more than 1:0” was his motto.
The Mexico Aid was launched by him after the 1986 World Cup, and the DFB Foundation Egidius Braun bears his name. “Today is a sad day for all footballers in Germany and Europe“Said the new DFB President Bernd Neuendorf in a statement,”With Egidius Braun we are losing a special person who used the opportunities offered by football to help those who need support and attention.“
Braun, former Treasurer of the European Football Union (UEFA), used his UEFA network to ensure that Germany was awarded the 2006 World Cup when all eight European representatives on the FIFA Executive Committee for the German bid voted in 2000 agreed.
Braun devoted himself to various honorary posts in football early on. First he was chairman of the SV Breinig, later chairman of the Aachen football association and president of the Middle Rhine football association. From 1977 he worked as DFB treasurer and after the death of Hermann Neuberger in 1992 he was elected the eighth president of the DFB.