Egyptian billionaire and former Fulham Owner and Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed has died at the age of 94, according to reports.
He was buried after Friday prayers following a service at Regent’s Park Mosque in London, according to reports from Al Jazeera Egypt.
Al Shorouk newspaper also reported that Ashraf Haider, a member of his family, wrote: “My wife’s grandfather, the Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, has died. We belong to God and to Him we shall return."
In the 1990s, Al Fayed was one of the richest people in the world, with an impressive list of businesses and property to his name.
He bought Fulham Fc in 1997 for £6.25 million when they were at their lowest ebb jn Division Three. Within four years Al Fayed had led Fulham into the Premier League.
In 2013, he said goodbye to Fulham FC, which he sold to billionaire Shahid Khan for $300m.
Fulham FC
Everyone at Fulham was incredibly saddened to learn of the death of our former Owner and Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed.
His successor, Shahid Khan, this evening paid tribute.
“On behalf of everyone at Fulham Football Club, I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohamed Al Fayed upon the news of his passing at age 94.
The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on the positive impact of Mr Al Fayed as Chairman.
His legacy will be remembered for our promotion to the Premier League, a Europa League Final, and moments of magic by players and teams alike.
I always enjoyed my time with Mr Al Fayed, who was wise, colourful and committed to Fulham, and I am forever grateful for his trust in me to succeed him as Chairman in 2013.
I join our supporters around the world in celebrating the memory of Mohamed Al Fayed, whose legacy will always be at the heart of our tradition at Fulham Football Club.”
Al Fayed purchased Fulham in 1997, following our recent promotion to the old Division Two (now League One).
Following his takeover, he announced his intention to reach the Premier League within five years. Fulham did it in four.
With Al Fayed in charge, the Club attracted a new calibre of player to Craven Cottage, breaking our own transfer record on a regular basis.
Convincing Chris Coleman to drop down two divisions was an early sign of the ambition in place by the Thames.
Kevin Keegan’s appointment was significant in itself, but his title win in 1999 was done in such style that England came calling, a seemingly unheard of notion considering he had been managing in the third tier.
After allowing his Manager to talk to the FA, Al Fayed described the move as his “gift to the nation.”
Two years later, the Whites were promoted again, realising Al Fayed’s dream of bringing Premier League football to Craven Cottage for the first time.
The appointment of Jean Tigana surprised many, but it proved inspired as the team dazzled their way to the Division One title.
Now amongst England’s elite, where we remained for a subsequent 13 years, Fulham reached a first FA Cup Semi-Final since 1975, secured a highest ever league finish of seventh, and defied the odds to make it all the way to the inaugural Europa League Final in 2010.
In 2013, after 16 years at the Club, Al Fayed sold Fulham to Mr Khan.
“My time of serving as the custodian of Fulham Football Club would one day come to an end, and I feel that time has now arrived,” Al Fayed said.
“The time is right because I have found a very good man in Shahid Khan to accept the responsibility and privilege that I have enjoyed at Fulham since 1997.
“Fulham will be in very good hands with Shahid, whose success in business and passion for sport is very evident.
I ask everyone who loves Fulham and our Craven Cottage home to welcome Shahid as he begins his journey as the next guardian of Fulham Football Club.”
Everyone associated with Fulham owes Mohamed a debt of gratitude for what he did for our Club, and our thoughts now are with his family and friends at this sombre time.
Source Zoe Forsey, Ryan Merrifield and Katie Weston at The Mirror