French football has been shaken and in mourning since this Friday afternoon and the announcement of the death of Jean-Louis Gasset. The former coach of Montpellier, Bordeaux, OM, Ivory Coast and assistant to Laurent Blanc at PSG was 72 years old.
“How sad,” wrote Luis Fernandez, who he also attended in Paris (2001-2003). Jean-Louis, you were my friend, my deputy. We shared so much, only good memories. »
For his part, Kylian Mbappé posted in an Instagram story a photo of the former coach, then assistant at PSG, with this caption: “A football encyclopedia has left us. Thank you for everything and rest in peace.”
The Montpellier club, where Jean-Louis Gasset played for 10 years before being coach three times (1998-1999, 2017, 2024-2025) shared its “immense sadness” on Instagram. “A child of the club, he left his mark on all those who met him with his professionalism, his kindness and his thirst for transmission. »
AS Saint-Étienne, which he coached between 2017 and 2019, also reacted: “He was the man with the cap, a wise man with a sincere smile, a respected professional, a man listened to. » For the Greens, he was “more than a coach who [les] made him win.”
“An endearing and authentic character”
“We have just learned of the sudden death of our consultant, Jean-Louis Gasset, at the age of 72, published Ligue 1+, the broadcaster of the French Championship, on »
OM, where Jean-Louis Gasset was in 2024, is hiring a coach who knew how to “bring his calm, his sense of balance and his wise outlook”. Someone “appreciated by players and managers alike” who “left behind the image of a fair man”.
Emotions are also strong for the clubs that Jean-Louis Gasset did not coach. “The SRFC would like to offer its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Jean-Louis as well as to his former players,” shares Stade Rennes on X.
“Jean-Louis left his mark on entire generations”
For former French coach Rolland Courbis, he was “the buddy, the friend you would like to have in your life”.
Former professional referee Philippe Malige also highlighted the good nature of Jean-Louis Gasset: “He was an endearing and authentic character, his singing accent and his gravelly voice will be missed. There is no doubt that Loulou (Nicollin) reserved a place for him at his side to watch over Paillade, his favorite club.”
For its part, the French Federation also spoke out. In a text published on his website, Philippe Diallo, its president, underlines that “French football is today losing one of its great servants”.
Beyond the recognized and respected technician, he was a true lover of football, deeply human, inspiring and committed, who over the decades knew how to transmit his values and his passion for the game to all those who had the privilege of knowing him. If his memory will remain forever linked to Montpellier, his favorite club, as a player and then as a coach, he also contributed, alongside Laurent Blanc as coach, to putting the French team back on the road to its greatest successes. »
The Girondins de Bordeaux recalled the 2009 French champion title shared with Jean-Louis Gasset in the staff and spoke of his return as coach “showing unfailing commitment”.
The president of the League (LFP), Vincent Labrune, indicated in a press release that “Jean-Louis Gasset was above all a sincere lover of football”. “An exceptional educator,” continues Labrune, “recognized for his professionalism, his rigor and his sense of transmission, he has left a lasting mark on generations of players, coaches and managers through his humanity and his knowledge of the game. His career and his commitment leave a strong and lasting imprint on French football. »
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