European Olympic Committees (EOC) Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi has been awarded the EOC Order of Merit in recognition of his long-standing commitment to the service of sport at the National and European level.
The Order of Merit is the EOC’s highest honour, awarded to a person for their contribution to the diffusion in Europe of the Olympic ideals according to the Olympic Charter, and the promotion of cooperation between the European National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
Mr Pagnozzi has served as the EOC’s Secretary General since 2006, and has helped oversee several major milestones, including the launch of the European Games in 2015 and coordinating support for the European NOCs’ activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
EOC President Spyros Capralos bestowed the honour on Mr Pagnozzi at the 53rd EOC General Assembly in Bucharest, hailing his distinguished service to sport and the EOC.
“Lello, sport is your passion. It is the common thread linking the highlights of your life and career. A long experience in the world of sport at the service of the Olympic rings,” President Capralos said.
“At the head of the small, dedicated team at the Rome office, you deployed over the years the three qualities that have always inspired you: believing in dialogue, encouraging mediation and never forgetting courtesy.”
On receiving the EOC Order of Merit, Mr Pagnozzi said: “I am humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious EOC Order of Merit. It is an enormous privilege to serve as the Secretary General of the EOC, and I am extremely grateful for the support of President Capralos and the whole EOC team who work tirelessly to support our NOCs and spread the Olympic values across Europe.”
Mr Pagnozzi’s career in sport administration began with the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) in 1973.
He served as Secretary General of CONI from 1993 until 2013, and as Italy’s Chef de Mission at 10 Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games from Lillehammer 1994 to London 2012.
He was appointed as Extraordinary Commissioner of the Italian Football Federation in 1996 and has served as a member of the Executive Committee and First Vice-President of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games.
Mr Pagnozzi received the Collari D’oro award, the highest honour in Italian sport, in 2018 for his lifelong service and dedication.
