Former FIFA chief hospitalized in Rio

Former FIFA president Joao Havelange, a controversial figure who spent more than two decades in charge of world football, is being treated in a Rio hospital with respiratory problems.

A spokeswoman for the Samaritano Hospital, Andresa Feijo, told AFP that the 99-year-old’s condition was “stable.”

There was no further information available but a statement was expected later Friday, she said.

Havelange, a two-time member of Brazil’s Olympic team, headed FIFA for 24 years and was also on the International Olympic Committee for half a century. He resigned as honorary FIFA president in 2013 under a cloud of corruption allegations.