Montpellier (AFP)

Former goalkeeper of the France team, "legend" of AJ Auxerre where this discreet and appreciated man has spent most of his career, Bruno Martini died at the age of 58, Montpellier announced on Tuesday. last club.

His death has given rise to many unanimous tributes, from French clubs as well as football personalities.

The AJA was moved by the disappearance of "one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of French football", a "true legend" in Burgundy.

"The MHSC mourns one of its own," responded Montpellier, where Martini held the post of deputy director of the training center.

"How sad, what a great man. Football loses a man of integrity, honesty and passion," said Luis Fernandez, ex-player and coach of Paris SG.

Victim of cardio-respiratory arrest, Martini had collapsed at the beginning of last week while returning to his car after a training and had been evacuated in intensive care at the intensive care center of the CHU of Montpellier.

Born in Nevers, he joined AJ Auxerre at 19 for 14 seasons (including two on loan from Nancy) and took over from Joël Bats, another iconic goalkeeper in French football.

- Invincible at Auxerre -

He also ended up replacing his elder in the France team, aligning 31 selections between 1987 and 1996, playing in Euro-1992 and remaining on the bench in 1996.

Martini was also European Champion Espoirs in 1988 with Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, Franck Passi or Bernard Casoni.

In club, he has only one Coupe de France to his list, the first of AJA and Guy Roux, won in 1994 against Montpellier (3-0).

But he experienced other historic moments, such as his unbeaten record from October 17, 1987 to February 20, 1988 (no goal conceded for 892 minutes), beaten by Gaëtan Huard with Bordeaux in 1992-1993 (1.176 minutes).

In the European Cup, its peak was the semi-final of the UEFA Cup at Abbé-Deschamps, lost on penalties against Borussia Dortmund (0-2 / 2-0, 5 tab to 6) , in 1993.

With the Blues, he participated in the Grand Slam qualifying for Euro-1992: eight victories in eight matches under the direction of Michel Platini, who became a coach.

But the Blues leave the Swedish Euro after the first round.

After his long reign in Burgundy, he ended his career in Montpellier (1995-1999).

- Chess player, great reader -

For more than 10 years, he then trained the goalkeepers of the France team (1999-2010) and, as such, was European champion 2000 and vice-world champion 2006.

At the National Technical Directorate (DTN), he also worked on setting up the training of high-level guards.

Then he returned to Montpellier, where this holder of the coaching diploma provided alongside Pascal Baills a short interim at the head of the first team, after the resignation of Rolland Courbis in December 2015 and before the appointment of Frédéric Hantz end of January 2016.

Renowned for his great discretion, the one who lived in La Grande-Motte by the sea, near Montpellier, was a singular character in football in the 1990s.

Chess player, lover of reading (he evoked Goethe, Gide, Céline or Montherlant), he also preferred the old ones in music, citing "Mozart, Wagner, Bach but, above all, Handel".

He was also classic in his post, excellent on his line, reluctant to go out and play kicking like goalies do today.

Martini almost did not become a footballer.

Major in the competition to become a physical education teacher, he could not validate it because he failed his bac D. Spotted by Guy Roux at the AJA, he was loaned to Nancy to get tough.

He replaced Jean-Michel Moutier with an injury, and when Platini's great friend was healed, the cage was held in earnest by young Martini.

It was the start of a great career in French football, which died out one evening in October.

© 2020 AFP