Reactions compiled by Colin Abgrall 11:57 a.m., October 08, 2021

In recent days on the antenna of Europe 1, many former stars of Olympique de Marseille as well as major players in French football have shared their visions and memories of Bernard Tapie, legendary president of OM, buried this Friday at Mazargues cemetery, not far from the Stade Vélodrome.

For them, he was "the Boss", the one who presided over the destinies of the Olympique de Marseille between 1986 and 1994, of the cycling team La Vie Claire from 1984 to 1988, of the Le Phocéa sailboat in the 80s for a Tour of the Atlantic record.

A man crazy about sport and challenges, with vertical but subtle management, with devouring ambition, even if it means being familiar with or even exceeding the limits.

They were his players, his opponents, his fellow travelers.

They will never forget it.

They tell "their" Bernard Tapie for Europe 1.

Eric Di Meco (defender from 1980 to 1994, trained at the club):

"He made this club great, unique and above all, he changed my life. I evolved with this club. He advanced by sprinting and if we were dragging we were eliminated. I know that his wife Dominique saved my life. head because she loved me a lot. Bernard confessed it to me one day. She arrived in training in 1993 and he said to me: "You piss me off 'Di Mec', my wife she always talks about you, you piss me off (laughs).

Even his detractors eventually got a lot of admiration for his battle with cancer.

Me, He taped me. "

Basil Boli (defender from 1990 to 1994) on the 1993 final:

"I haven't been training for ten days, my knee hurts. For 10 minutes it was fine and afterwards I didn't feel well. Jacques Bailly, the physiotherapist, said to me: 'The boss doesn't want that you go out. '

I tell myself that it's not possible, that he wants to kill me… Two minutes later, I score. At half-time, he comes to me and says: 'So you want to go out now?'

He was the only president who spoke more than the coach. He could speak to us for up to 45 minutes. He was a great leader of men. "

Pascal Olmeta (goalkeeper from 1990 to 1993):

"He arrives in the locker room. We were listening to Raymond Goethals (the coach at the time). And then Bernard Tapie arrives, pushes him gently, and he says: 'Leave it to me, I'm going to do it. 'team'. He was the boss. "

Marc Libbra (striker from 1992 to 1998):

"There remains only one young player, in this case me. I have to play and all the players had carted me away, telling me you'll see, the boss will take care of you. At the end of the snack, he m 'grabs it, he crushes my shoulder and explains clearly to me that I do not exist, that I am nobody. If it goes well, I will exist otherwise I return to the training center. slap in the back of the head: 'Zero stress, you don't exist today. Do you remember Alain Boghossian?'

I said yes. 'And where does he play now?'

I tell him he's playing in Napoli. 'So maybe you know what to do' and he puts a pie on me and says, "Have a good game."

Jean-Marc Ferreri (midfielder from 1992 to 1993 and from 1994 to 1996):

"I was a bit his favorite. He could be in total euphoria. After playing a great match, he called me Roberto Baggio (legendary Italian player). And 15 days later, he said to me: 'Listen to Jean- Marc, tonight you reminded me more of Roberto than of Baggio. He could be extremely tough, but he was a passionate and exceptional man. He always had the right words to speak to us. "

Jocelyn Angloma (defender from 1991 to 1994):

"Me, it took me back especially. We win 3-0 against Prague, and we finish 3-2 with a goal that comes from my side. He made me understand very early that we were no longer at PSG, that 'We had taken it to another level. He told me that if I wanted to grow, I had to get up to speed. "

Marcel Dib (midfielder from 1994 to 1996):

"I was on vacation in Guadeloupe. I had just arrived but I already had a message from the boss at reception. He said to me:" Marcel, where are you? "I tell him that I am in Guadeloupe. Come right now.

What are you doing, come right away and come sign. "And I left. I stayed 24 hours in Guadeloupe and I left to sign the contract to be the captain and succeed in this comeback in the first division."

Guy Roux (coach of AJ Auxerre from 1961 to 2005): On the recruitment of Eric Cantona in 1988:

"He calls me and he says: 'Your Cantona, is he really leaving?' I told him yes. 'He is asked?' I told him that there were a lot of people, that he was with Mr. Lagardère (then owner of Matra Racing) the day before in Paris. He said to me: 'Okay, I'll be there in an hour.' He takes his plane and arrives at Auxerre aerodrome. I go get him and we go to Eric Cantona's in Poilly-sur-Tholon. He was painting, it was evening. He said to him: 'Eric , where are you born ?' He replies: 'In Marseille.' "So you come to play with us, it's okay, there are no problems. For the salary it will be the highest salary we will offer you, plus a franc. Bernard Tapie one day told me It was the day after the end of the championship. He said to me: 'I'm trying a Falcon. I'm in Marseille.We pick you up in Auxerre, we will buy chocolate in Switzerland, then we come back to Marseille, dropping you off on the way back. ' And we did. He's a man I loved and I can tell you, there weren't many. "

Laurent Nicollin (president of the Montpellier club, son of Louis Nicollin, founder of the club):

"One Saturday night when I was sleeping, the phone rang around 1 or 1:30 in the morning. I wondered what was going on, I answered and it was Bernard Tapie who said to me: 'But where is your father? '

I tell him that I don't know, that he went to eat with some friends, that he should not delay.

'You tell him to call me back.'

I said to him: 'Yes no worries Mr. Tapie.' "

Waldemar Kita (president of FC Nantes):

"A beautiful statue, that would be nice for that kind of character."

Mourad Boudjellal (president RC Toulon from 2006 to 2020):

"I wanted to set up my box. He was coming to Toulon for his program Ambitions and I had managed to get myself invited. I was young. I went to see him saying: 'I'm setting up my box, give me a bit your luck. '

He stopped, turned around and shook my hand with a broad smile. "

Luc Sonor (Monaco player from 1986 to 1995) on his meeting with Tapie:

"I said I would never put on the OM jersey. But Bernard Tapie liked it, the stubborn people, the fighters. He always called me 'the warrior'. He made me understand that the jersey of OM was for me. I went to one of his meetings. When I left, I knew I would not sign. But he told me that I was made for Marseille and I had the nerve to tell him no, I won't wear that jersey. He said to me, 'You know who you're talking to, you know what you're doing?'

I'm glad I stood up to him because few people did. "

Christophe Bouchet (journalist and OM president from 2002 to 2004):

"When he arrived at OM, he said: 'Cycling is good but it's once a year. Football is 38 times a year.'

He knew that football was an extraordinary vehicle for building his notoriety. "

Jocelyn Gourvennec (Coach of Lille, former midfielder from 1998 to 1999):

"I remember a phone call when I was a young player at Rennes and he wanted me to play for OM. I was very surprised, he paid me lots of compliments. It was incredible but I am stayed in Rennes. I went there later in the end. But I keep the image of a real leader. "