Milan Mandarić has passed away. The former president of OGC Nice died on Saturday at the age of 87.

A Californian born in Yugoslavia and member of the 1994 World Cup Organising Committee, he took the helm at Nice in December 1996 (André BoÏs handed over the presidency to him at the end of the season) and began his tenure by replacing Daniel Sanchez with his compatriot Silvester Takač at the head of a Nice team in serious difficulty.

Although the team ended up being relegated to the second division, there was also the bright spot of victory in the Coupe de France in May 1997 against Guingamp.

A season in purgatory followed, where hopes of immediate promotion did not last long despite his investments, and where participation in the Cup Winners' Cup remained the only real bright spot.

After exploring various possible takeovers, Milan Mandarić accepted Francesco Sensi's offer in early 1999. The businessman's footballing future would be written in England, where he enjoyed greater success at Portsmouth, Leicester and finally Sheffield Wednesday, who he helped get promoted to the Premier League. In recent years, he served as vice-president of Serbian club Vojvodina.

OGC Nice extends its sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.

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