Marseille (AFP)

The ex-president of Olympique de Marseille Pape Diouf (68) died of coronavirus, we learned on Tuesday from a family source.

His death has been confirmed by RTS, the public television channel in Senegal.

Pape Diouf was to be repatriated from Dakar to Nice by medical plane but his condition deteriorated, the plane could not take off and he died on Senegalese soil, we learned from the same source.

Diouf had been hospitalized in Dakar, suffering from coronavirus and undergoing respiratory assistance.

Tuesday, he was to be evacuated to France by a special flight chartered by the French Embassy in Senegal and his family was to join him in Nice.

Former journalist, player agent and then OM manager, from 2005 to 2009, Diouf had notably helped to build the team champion of France 2010, after 17 years without titles for OM.

© 2020 AFP