Former Fulham FC owner Mohamed Al-Fayed has died at the age of 94.
During his time in charge of the London club, Al-Fayed took Fulham from the third tier of English football to the top flight and into Europe.
He sold the club to current owner Shahid Khan in July 2013.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1929, Al-Fayed previously owned the famous Harrods department store in London before he bought Fulham for a reported £30million in 1997.
He oversaw one of the most successful periods in the club’s history, steering Fulham to their third promotion in five seasons in 2000-01, which saw them reach English football’s top flight for the first time since 1968.
Everyone at Fulham was incredibly saddened to learn of the death of our former Owner and Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed.
We owe 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.
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 1, 2023
Things were to get even better, with Fulham reaching the final of the Europa League in May 2010, against Atletico Madrid.
Diego Forlan gave the Spanish side the lead before Simon Davies’ equaliser. Forlan struck again, however, to seal a 2-1 win in extra time.
But Al-Fayed’s time as Fulham owner was not without its controversies and he was behind the club’s infamous decision to erect a statue of his friend Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage.
Despite this, he was praised by the Fulham Supporters’ Trust after he handed the club over to Khan, who said the club enjoyed “wonderful progression” under Al-Fayed.
He is survived by his second wife, Heini Wathen, and their four children.
(Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
