French Coach Jean-Louis Gasset Dies at 72

The football world mourned the loss of French coach Jean-Louis Gasset on Friday, who passed away at the age of 72. Many football figures paid tribute to the late coach. Former Olympique Marseille midfielder, Moroccan Amine Harit, stated on his Instagram account: “You were among those rare figures we meet in football who leave a mark far beyond the boundaries of the pitch.”

Gasset had recently taken charge of Olympique Marseille from February to May 2024, succeeding Gennaro Gattuso in a 100-day mission. Under his leadership, the team achieved a strong start with five consecutive victories before finishing the season in eighth place in the league, recording 9 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses. He also guided Marseille to the semi-finals of the Europa League, overcoming Benfica, Villarreal, and Shakhtar Donetsk, before being eliminated by Atalanta Bergamo.

Throughout his career, Gasset held significant roles at Montpellier as a player, educator, and coach. He also served as assistant coach to Laurent Blanc, achieving a historic treble with Bordeaux in 2009, and three more trebles with Paris Saint-Germain between 2014 and 2016. Additionally, he worked as an assistant to Luis Fernandez at Paris Saint-Germain.

In this regard, Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “Jean-Louis Gasset was a very special person for the club and a very important person to me.” Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos added on Instagram: “My deepest condolences to the family. Thank you for everything, coach.”