Premier League side Sunderland have confirmed the tragic death of non-executive director Patrick Troyer, with the Louis-Dreyfus Company saying he passed away suddenly overnight.
Sunderland AFC has paid heartfelt condolences to part-time director Patrick Troyer, who has passed away at the age of 52. The club said Troyer, who played a key role in the club’s promotion from League One to the Premier League, will be “deeply missed”.
The news was announced on December 24, when the Louis-Dreyfus Company revealed that its chief financial officer (CFO) had passed away unexpectedly overnight. The 52-year-old joined the Black Cats’ board of directors in 2021, replacing Angela Laws as finance director following the appointment of Kyrell Louis-Dreyfus.
Mr. Troyer joins the board of directors as a non-executive director, along with Igor Levin, legal representative of the Louis-Dreyfus family.
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In a statement released on December 25, Sunderland said: “Sunderland AFC is deeply saddened by the passing of Patrick Troyer.
“One of the club’s non-executive directors, Patrick has also served as Chief Financial Officer of the Louis-Dreyfus Company BV since 2014.”
“Patrick played an active role in SAFC’s journey from League One to the Premier League and will be greatly missed.
“Everyone at SAFC sends our deepest condolences to Patrick’s family and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.”
Mr Treuer was one of several non-executive directors on Sunderland’s board, which also included Mr Levin, Maurice Louis-Dreyfus, Juan Sartori, Simon Bumbaka and Leo Perlman.
In 2022, Louis-Dreyfus increased his stake in the football club to 51% following interest from the cryptocurrency consortium Fans Together.
The group took over control of the club 12 months ago, with Mr Troyer joining the board after purchasing the shares from Charlie Methven and previous owner Stewart Donald.
At the time, they said: “Today marks an important step in the continued rebuilding of Sunderland AFC.
“Our ownership group is consolidated and no shares will be sold to third-party buyers in the future.
“We remain committed to our strategy for long-term success and sustainability and believe that, with our dedicated staff and loyal supporters, we can move forward as one unified football club.”
Within three years of acquiring a majority stake in Sunderland, the club returned to the Premier League after Regis Le Bris’ side defeated Sheffield United in the play-off final, securing promotion to England’s elite division.
The Black Cats have had a fantastic season and sit in sixth place, just two points off the Champions League spots. They return to action on December 28 when they host Leeds United at the Stadium of Light with a 2pm kick-off.
