Paris (AFP)

Successful coach in France with PSG and Lyon, but also in England with Liverpool, which he led to a fantastic quintuplet in 2001, the former manager, manager and French coach Gérard Houllier died at 73, a-t- we learned Monday from several of his former clubs.

Confirming information from RMC and L'Equipe, the clubs of Lens, Paris SG as well as sources in the entourage of Olympique Lyonnais announced the disappearance of the former coach and national technical director.

"We mourn the disappearance of our triple winner manager Gérard Houllier. The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Gérard's family and his many friends. Rest in peace", for its part reacted the Liverpool club on Twitter, making tribute to the man who led the Reds in 2001 to success in both National Cups and in the UEFA Cup, before winning the European Supercup and the Charity Shield.

According to the daily L'Equipe, the former technician died in the night from Sunday to Monday, a few days after an aortic operation undergone in a Paris hospital.

A native of Thérouanne, in the Pas-de-Calais, Gérard Houllier was never a professional footballer but led a remarkable career as a coach and manager, from Lens in the 1980s to Aston Villa at the end of his career on the benches in the early 2010s.

He won his greatest success at the head of Paris SG, winning the club's first French title in 1986, but especially with the Reds.

"The whole of Paris Saint-Germain offers its condolences to the family and relatives of Gérard Houllier," reacted the Parisian club in a statement.

- The France-Bulgaria fiasco -

Houllier will have had less success on the benches of the France team, whether as an assistant to Michel Platini from 1988, then as a N.1 in 1992, for only 12 matches at the head of the selection and a historic non-qualification for the World Cup-1994 during the France-Bulgaria fiasco in 1993.

Gérard Houllier's name will also remain attached to the French Federation, where he served as National Technical Director (DTN), and to that of Olympique Lyonnais, where he was still advisor to President Jean-Michel Aulas, for several years. after winning two French league titles as Lyon coach, in 2006 and 2007.

Tributes began to rain after his death, which occurred a few hours after the Paris SG-Lyon match (0-1), between two of his former clubs.

"In shock at this sad news," Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar wrote on Twitter.

"Today I am very sad. Thanks to you, I was able to play in this wonderful Liverpool club. A big thank you for everything you have done for me," for his part wrote the former striker Djibril Cissé .

"Gérard, you were my first coach for the France team and you offered me my first selection. You have always been kind to me and I had a lot of fun meeting you and talking about football", continued the former international Bixente Lizarazu.

"With the disappearance of Gérard Houllier, France loses a great coach and football, a technician recognized all over the world," responded the Minister for Sports Roxana Maracineanu.

© 2020 AFP