Former Wednesday owner and chairman Milan Mandaric has passed away at the age of 87.
His family released a statement which said he passed away at a hospital in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Saturday following a short illness.
A statement on the Wednesday club website said: “The Serbian-American tycoon rescued the Owls from a period of distress in December 2010, completing a takeover that beamed new light into Hillsborough.
“He enjoyed five years at the helm, the peak of which was our unforgettable promotion from League One to the Championship in 2011-12 when Dave Jones’ side secured elevation on the last day of the season against Wycombe Wanderers.
“Milan brought an extensive football industry portfolio to S6 of some 50 years, having turned around and achieved considerable success with Portsmouth and Leicester City on these shores.
“Prior to that, he was a major player in the revitalisation of the game Stateside before switching to Europe, owning Belgian side Royal Charleroi SC then French outfit OGC Nice.
“Attention then turned to England and Pompey, who were promoted to the Premier League under his stewardship.
“Milan was later bestowed the honour of ‘Freedom of the City’ to mark his achievements with Portsmouth.
“A further promotion followed with Leicester, from League One to the Championship, a feat that would be repeated at Hillsborough.
“After selling Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana, his most recent football foray was the vice-presidency of Serbian Superliga side Vojvodina.
“Milan is survived by daughters Sandra, Jasmina and his three grandchildren and our thoughts are with his family and friends worldwide at this extremely difficult time.”
The London Owls also send our sincere sympathies to Milan’s family at this extremely sad time.
