- Jean-Louis Gasset died this Friday, December 26 at the age of 72.
- The former coach of OM and Montpellier has received numerous tributes from the world of French football.
A character in French football has left. Former coach Jean-Louis Gasset, who worked notably at Montpellier, Marseille and Saint-Étienne, as well as Paris Saint-Germain and the French team as an assistant, died this Friday, December 26 at the age of 72. The man who since last summer had become a consultant for Ligue 1+, the broadcaster of the French championship, has been the subject of countless tributes since the announcement of his disappearance.
“He will leave a big void”
reacted in the columns of Free Midday
(new window) Laurent Nicollin, president of Montpellier Hérault SC, Jean-Louis Gasset’s favorite club. “When you lose someone close to you and they’re part of the family, it’s always a complicated thing, especially when you don’t see it happening. When someone is in great shape and everything is fine, it’s unexpected, it’s quick, it hurts. I take this news hard.”
“A football encyclopedia has left us”
Olympique de Marseille, where he coached for a few months in 2024, also paid tribute to the memory of its former coach. “In the world of football, everyone recognizes the man you were. And precisely for this reason, I don’t want any labels or big speeches. I simply want to talk about the man I knew and what he left me.”
wrote the president of the Marseille club, Pablo Longoria. “When you finally came, you did it as you were: calmly and passionately, with a smile, without ever looking for the light.”
“You have no right JL”
launched Ghislain Printant, his long-time deputy. “Thank you my friend.” “One look was enough”
remembers OM’s Gabonese striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. “Thank you coach, we will miss you.” “A football encyclopedia has left us”
greeted the captain of the France team, Kylian Mbappé. “Thank you for everything and rest in peace.”
In addition to his career as number 1, Jean-Louis Gasset was also Laurent Blanc’s assistant, in Bordeaux, in the French team and at Paris Saint-Germain. “French football today loses one of its great servants”
declared Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation. “He contributed, alongside Laurent Blanc as coach, to putting the French team back on the road to its greatest successes.”
PSG, for its part, sent all its thoughts “to his family and loved ones”
. “The Paris Saint-Germain family and French football are in mourning”
wrote the capital club.
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Retired from the benches since April 2025, Jean-Louis Gasset has commented on a few Ligue 1 matches in recent months. “An exceptional educator, recognized for his professionalism, his rigor and his sense of transmission, he left a lasting impression on generations of players, coaches and managers through his humanity and his knowledge of the game”
said the boss of the Professional Football League, Vincent Labrune. “His journey and his commitment leave a strong and lasting mark on French football.”
