January 29 – The respected media lawyer, entrepreneur, father to three children, dedicated husband and a man of vision, Dr Martin Wagner, was brutally slain on Sunday, January 28, 2018 in his home outside Basel, Switzerland.
Martin was a friend to all of Inside World Football’s Board and Management. He had been our Chairman and a close Associate for several years. Through his invaluable relationships in football, he provided new ideas, marketing and sponsorship strategies and a hands-on approach whenever new opportunities arose or old relationships needed to be improved.
As Chairman of TEAM Marketing AG, he was the architect of the UEFA Champions League marketing and sales phenomenon to a large extent. But he was more than an active and engaging professional, exceptional legal mind and dynamic spirit. He was an exceptionally educated man and respected throughout Switzerland and beyond for his no-nonsense approach, his energy and his large network of relationships in the football industry, entertainment and global communications. His personal involvement reached to the top of Switzerland’s Basler Zeitung, he was the Chair of Basel County Canton’s Chamber of Commerce and many company boards that sought his professional advice and “savoir farire”.
But there was much more to Martin than his business acumen and success. He was a caring husband to a severely ill wife who passed away late last year. He was a rock of a father to his three children, whom he took care of, he was a friend to so many who asked much of him – and he always delivered.
Dr Martin Wagner was an exceptional man, both in business and as a friend. Not much is yet known of the madman who shot him in his home in rural Basel County, only to commit suicide right after. But what is known, is a sad and horrid fact: three children not only lost their mother a few months ago to a horrible illness, but they were now robbed of the father they relied on
We are speechless and stare at this awful, senseless crime, dumbfounded and incredulous. A crime that may serve as a warning to all of us: we must savour every moment we live. What we achieve and build as purposeful and caring men and women, what we give to society and those we deeply care about is what matters, and will leave a mark on the memory of those who care, as Martin has left on ours.
The Inside World Football team