Monday 14 December 2020, 11:26

Football pays tribute to Gerard Houllier

  • Gerard Houllier passes away in the night between 13 and 14 December

  • He was coach of the French national team from 1992 to 1993

  • Houllier won several titles with Liverpool and also coached PSG and Lyon

The world of football has bid farewell to another leading figure in a year that has already claimed so many lives. Gerard Houllier, the former coach of the French national team, passed away in the night between 13 and 14 December. Aged 73, he died just a few days after undergoing aortic surgery.

The retired coach had been following a strict medical treatment plan since suffering an initial heart scare while in charge of Liverpool in 2001, and he had undergone another surgical intervention in October. Hospitalised once again in Paris in recent days, he had returned home on Sunday, only to pass away during the night.

Previously an amateur player for Hucqueliers and Le Touquet, Houllier had never been a professional footballer. Instead, he pursued a career in education, first as a school teacher then as an English teacher, though he never lost his passion for the game. It therefore came as an easy decision to swap his teaching post for the dugout of second division French side Nœux-les-Mines in 1976, his first appointment in professional football.

A dream title and painful elimination

Houllier's path as a coach then took him to Lens and Paris Saint-Germain, where he clinched the French title in 1986, the high point of his three years in the capital between 1985 and 1988. He subsequently began work for the French Football Federation (FFF), serving as assistant to national team coach Henri Michel and later Michel Platini, before taking the top job himself following UEFA EURO 1992.

Unfortunately, his spell as France coach came to an end a year later after the bitter disappointment of the team's bid to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, their hopes extinguished by a last-minute goal in a 2-1 loss to Bulgaria in their final match.

Following a stint in charge of France's U-18 and U-20 sides, he relaunched his career at Liverpool in 1998. Houllier held sway until 2004, memorably bringing joy to the Anfield faithful with an exceptional trophy haul in 2001, adding to the club's silverware collection with the FA Cup, English League Cup, FA Charity Shield, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

More success followed as Houllier clinched a pair of Ligue 1 titles with Lyon in 2006 and 2007, after which he took a step back for health reasons. He continued his involvement in the game as National Technical Director of the FFF, before returning to frontline club duties with Aston Villa in 2010. Once again, however, his doctors cautioned him regarding the health risks of coaching and the Therouanne native finally called time on his management career.

Since then, Houllier had been putting his vast knowledge of the game to use as head of global football for the Red Bull group, and also as an adviser to Lyon, while he also served on the FIFA Technical Study Group at several tournaments.

FIFA extends its deepest condolences to Gerard Houllier's family and loved ones.

Gerard Houllier's list of honours

  • Champion of France (1986, 2006, 2007)

  • UEFA Cup winner (2001)

  • FA Cup winner (2001)

  • English League Cup winner (2001, 2003)

  • UEFA Super Cup winner (2001)

  • French Super Cup winner (2005, 2006)

  • UEFA U-18 EURO winner (1996)

  • Ligue 2 coach of the year (1981)

  • Ligue 1 coach of the year (2007)

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