Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Jacques ‘Jacky’ Fatton hero of Sao Paulo, passed away

The former Switzerland international Jacques ‘Jacky’ Fatton, born in Exincourt (France) on 19 December 1925, sadly passed away on 25 July 2011 at the age of 85. The ex-Servette player made a considerable impact on Swiss football, and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter was quick to offer his condolences via a letter addressed to the Geneva-based club.
Charles Casali, Jacques Fatton, Olivier Eggimann, Andre Neury, Charles Antennen, Josef Huegi, Willy Kernen, Robert Ballamann, Roger Vonlanthen, Eugene Parlier, Roger Bocquet




“I had the huge privilege of seeing this exceptional player in action on numerous occasions, and his place in the annals of Swiss football is assured thanks to his long, successful career and unerring eye for goal,” wrote the FIFA President.


Fatton, who represented Switzerland 53 times between 1946 and 1955, is fondly remembered in his homeland for his exploits at the 1950 FIFA World Cup™, where his brace against eventual runners-up Brazil in Sao Paulo enabled the Helvetians to secure a 2-2 draw in the group stage.
 
 
I was struck by his great generosity and the extraordinary warmth and humility he showed people.
President Blatter on Jacques Fatton
 

Fatton also took part in the subsequent FIFA World Cup four years later, held on Swiss soil. The host nation reached the quarter-finals of the event, before losing 7-5 to Austria, despite having built up a 3-0 lead after just 19 minutes of play.



Servette chairman Majid Pishyar made the following statement on the club’s website: “The name of Jacky Fatton will forever be linked with Servette FC, and I hope that we will always remember figures such as Jacky Fatton, who have contributed so much to this great club.”

After the 1954 FIFA World Cup, Fatton joined Lyon for three seasons, before returning to Servette to see out the remainder of his career. A natural goalscorer, his career statistics make for impressive reading: 274 goals in Switzerland, and 33 in France.

“As a young student, I had the chance to make his acquaintance in the restaurant he owned in Geneva. I was struck by his great generosity and the extraordinary warmth and humility he showed people,” concluded Blatter.

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