Carlo Molinari, former FC Metz president, dies at 93, Digi Mart USA News: Carlo Molinari, the long-serving president of FC Metz, died on Wednesday, November 4, at the age of 93, the club announced on its social media channels.
The club said it had learned of his death with immense sadness. Molinari spent more than three decades in the club’s presidency and was credited with shaping one of the most significant periods in the history of the Grenats.
During his tenure the club won two Coupe de France titles, in 1984 and 1988, and two Coupe de la Ligue titles, in 1986 and 1996. Metz also enjoyed a European run that entered club folklore against FC Barcelona, and finished as French runner-up in 1998.
The club described him as a visionary and builder who firmly established FC Metz in the French football landscape and helped shape part of the club’s identity. Bernard Serin, the current club president, along with directors, players, coaches, former players and staff, sent condolences to his family and loved ones.
Molinari, a Franco-Italian and former French motocross champion in the 1950s, first became Metz president in 1967. After a first term lasting until 1978, he returned to lead the club in 1983 and stepped back in 2009, when Serin succeeded him.
The source article also noted that he had helped develop several players who later represented the French national team, including Patrick Battiston, Robert Pirès and Sylvain Kastendeuch.
