He was not as well known as his illustrious partners Raymond Kopa or Just Fontaine but Lucien Muller also left his mark on French football.
Also a Stade de Reims figure, the former French international midfielder died at the age of 91, his family announced to AFP on Tuesday.
Muller, who began his career in Strasbourg, first shone in the Reims jersey (1959-1962), where he won the French Championship twice (1960 and 1962).
He then headed to Spain, playing with Real Madrid (1962-1965), with whom he won La Liga three times and played in a C1 final, then at FC Barcelona (1965-1968). He is also the only French player to have worn the tunics of these two greats of Spain. Both clubs paid tribute to him on their social networks.
“By his humanity as much as his talent, he embodied values dear to our club,” reacted Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot, hailing “a legend of the club” in a press release published on the Stade de Reims website.
A converted coach, Lucien Muller managed several Spanish clubs, including Barça during the 1978-1979 season, before joining Monaco (1983-1986), where he won the Coupe de France in 1985.
International 16 times with the France team, he played in Euro 1960 (semi-finalist) and the 1966 World Cup.
“During the forty years of his career in high-level football, on the field or on the sidelines, Lucien Muller associated his name with some of the greatest clubs of his time (…), building a track record that speaks for itself,” the French Football Federation also pays tribute to him.
