“All Marseillais are invited to accompany one of ours to pay their last respects and provide our support to the family. » Hundreds of people responded this Saturday afternoon to the call from OM supporters’ clubs to accompany the coffin of Rolland Courbis on the Canebière to the Reformed Church, where a final ceremony took place before his funeral.
The announcement of his death on Monday had the effect of a bomb in the city where he was born, in the heart of the 15th arrondissement in the northern districts, and where he had spent a good part of his sporting career. After a first ceremony on Wednesday at the Madeleine church in Paris, the family held a tribute in the Marseille city where he began his career as a young central defender during the 1971-1972 season, before spending three seasons between 1997 and 1999 as coach, taking OM to a place as vice-champion of France and a European final lost to Parma. In Marseille, he also coached the amateur club US Endoume after a first coaching experience in Toulon (Var).
“It was a very nice tribute, I think he would have been surprised by everything that was prepared for him. He had no idea how much people loved him. I hope he sees it and that he is happy, testifies, moved after the ceremony, his daughter Olivia. He’s like this city, he’s raw, he’s warm, he’s hot-blooded… I studied in the United States. Even there there was an OM bar and we knew who he was. I went to Argentina, we knew who he was. Everywhere, if we like football, we know who he is. »
“It represents an era of football that we loved”
“There is great emotion because all the people around loved Rolland,” confirms Laurent Paganelli, the star consultant of Canal +. For me, he was like my father, I am delighted to be there and to accompany him until the end. He will always be there in us. It represents an era of football that we loved, it was essential to be there. »
“How can you not have relations with a guy like Rolland. He did not leave anyone indifferent, he was a character for me, recalls Alain Giresse on the steps of the church. On the pitch, we knew he was there, he imposed himself. I realized it later as an opponent. But he was so endearing, he thought outside the box, his talks as a coach I can say that they didn’t come out of the training we might have had. But he was convincing, the players bought into it. Today, we see what the character has left, he has played for many clubs and everyone has adhered to his way of managing football. He was unanimous, he had verve with all his formulas. »
Many former players like Laurent Blanc, who arrived and left discreetly, took part in the tribute and the mass in a packed church.
“If Marcel Pagnol had met him, he would have taken him in one of his films”
“I have a lot of emotions, I just met Raoul Noguès, Albert Emon, players who made me dream when I was little,” recognizes Éric Di Meco. He recalls that Courbis, who became a popular consultant on RMC, “had a blast on the radio”.
“Rolland was passionate about football. Sometimes when he called me, I didn’t answer because he was able to talk for an hour about a match from the day before. It’s fabulous to still have this flame at 70, to talk about the game, the players, the coaches, underlines the former OM defender. I’m passionate too, but for him it was still phenomenal. I’m sure that if Marcel Pagnol had met him, he would have taken him in one of his films. He was a real character, with his cheekiness, his accent, his cunning too. »
The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, who recalled his pride “for the journey of this child from the northern districts”, as well as his opponent for the municipal elections Martine Vassal and the president of the PACA region Renaud Muselier also attended the service.
“He was a true Marseille man and a friend,” confirms Guy Cazadamont, long responsible for security at OM. “The most extraordinary memory I have of him is when we were trailing 4-0 at half-time by Montpellier. He told Nicollin: we are going to win 5-4. And we did it! »
