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Former Liverpool, Aston Villa and France manager Gerard Houllier has passed away at 73.
Houllier spent six years at Anfield between 1998-2004, winning four major trophies, including the League Cup, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup in 2001.
After two years with Lyon, Houllier returned to the Premier League in 2010, replacing Martin O’Neill as Aston Villa manager. He resigned from his position at Villa Park in June of the following year, shortly after falling ill with heart problems.
Houllier celebrates winning the League Cup with Liverpool in 2001
The Frenchman spent 38 years as a coach, also in charge of the France, Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain national teams, where he won Ligue 1 in 1986, the first of nine PSG titles.
In a statement on Monday, Liverpool said: “Liverpool FC are mourning the passing of former manager Gerard Houllier, 73.
“The Frenchman was in charge of the Reds for six seasons, leading his team to a historic and unforgettable triplet in the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup in 2000-01 and returning the club to the Champions League.
“Houllier, who recovered from a life-saving heart operation during the 2001-02 campaign to return to the bench, then led Liverpool to a second League Cup win of his tenure in 2003 and left after the year Next after having supervised 307 matches and reviewed successfully, he established the club as a modern force.
“Everyone at the club is deeply saddened by the loss of Gerard and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Former Liverpool forward Michael Owen paid tribute to Houllier on Twitter, writing: “Absolutely heartbroken to hear that my former boss, Gerard Houllier, sadly passed away. A great coach and a genuinely caring man.”
Jamie Carragher said he was “absolutely devastated” by the news of Houllier’s death. The former defender wrote on Twitter: “I was in contact with him last month to organize his arrival at Liverpool. He loved that man to pieces, he changed me as a person and as a player and he took back the LFC by winning trophies. RIP Boss.”
Jamie Redknapp wrote on Instagram: “Incredibly sad news to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier. A man who did an incredible job for Liverpool football club and for football in general. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. I will never do it. Forget the day you gave me the Liverpool captaincy the greatest honor of my career. RIP Gerard. “
Roy Evans, who was joint manager with Houllier for four months in 1998, had this to say: “Incredibly sad news to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier. A gentleman for whom I have the utmost respect and what he accomplished at the football club. Liverpool. Condolences to his family. RIP “.
Aston Villa added on Twitter: “All of us at Aston Villa are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier, our coach during the 2010/11 season. Our thoughts go out to Gerard’s loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”
Former Liverpool striker Ian Rush tweeted: “Devastated by the passing of Gerard Houllier. A true gentleman of the game, he always put others first in @LFC #RIP.
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Stephen Warnock shares memories of his former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, who died at the age of 73.
Stephen Warnock, who played for Houllier at Liverpool and Aston Villa, said Sky Sports News: “He is someone who had a great influence on Liverpool and also on the French national team. He was my coach twice, both at Liverpool and Aston Villa. This is terrible news.
“Liverpool fans will remember him fondly for that incredible season where they won the treble and won five trophies with Houllier in the calendar year. It was quite a remarkable season.
“He was a severe disciplinarian. He brought new standards to Liverpool when he first came in. He was very similar to Arsene Wenger, when he came to Arsenal and how he tried to implement a different diet and the way players should live. I have to listen to him. Steven Gerrard, Danny Murphy, Jamie Carragher talk about the influence it had on their careers and how it changed their setup to approach football and the way they lived their life. It had a great influence on their careers.
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Following the sad news of Gerard Houllier’s passing, we take a look at the 2001 League Cup final, where he won his first trophy as Liverpool manager.
“He had that disciplinary side, which maybe a school teacher has, and he had it in and around the training ground. He was very harsh in the way he spoke. But tactically he was very astute and a great student of Liverpool. after Roy Evans and tried to bring a different style, a continental style to Liverpool and that worked for a period of time.
“He made very important decisions in Liverpool, but that was something he was never afraid to do. He was never afraid to make those decisions. In Liverpool it was a great thing at the time because you had great characters in the dressing room, but he was not afraid of those characters, he wasn’t afraid to do what he thought was right for the football club to move him forward. “
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson tweeted: “A great man and a great coach. Liverpool will always be grateful. Gerard Houllier – Repose en paix”, while Steven Gerrard said on Instagram: “I will never forget what this man did for me and my career. Rest in peace Chief. “
Manchester United also posted their condolences on Twitter and there were more messages from all over football.
President of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graët, said: “French football is losing one of its best coaches and the French Federation one of its most loyal servants.
Gérard Houllier has distinguished himself at all levels of football: in the amateur world as a player and then as a coach, in the professional world as a coach of renowned clubs, in the Federation as National Technical Director and coach of the French team.
“Thanks to his unanimously recognized technical qualities, Gérard Houllier was a wonderful teacher, open-minded, warm, approachable, deeply human.
“French football owes him a lot. I extend, on behalf of the Federation, to his family and loved ones, our most sincere thoughts and our deepest condolences.”
Analysis: Houllier returned Liverpool to the top table
Houllier led Liverpool’s triplet season in 2000/01
Gerard Houllier adored Liverpool and his role in bringing the glory days back to Anfield should not be overlooked. The successes of the 2001 cup made it one of the most notable years in the club’s history as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Charity Shield and the European Super Cup. .
Houllier not only gave fans some wonderful memories, but he helped restore Liverpool’s status among the European elite.
For a generation of fans, the downtime of the 1990s now feels like a bump, but when Liverpool qualified for the Champions League in 2001, it brought the club back to Europe’s premier club competition by first time since the Heysel disaster in 1985.
Houllier’s fatherly appearance masked fierce determination. His high level of professionalism helped pave the way for the greatest successes to follow with Rafa Benítez, making improvements at Melwood, modernizing behavior and tactics.
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Gerard Houllier ‘took the players on a journey’ to the ‘best possible place,’ says Geoff Shreeves
Liverpool’s second-place finish in the 2001/02 season was the club’s best in more than a decade and would not be improved by nearly two more. His passion for the club lasted for the rest of his life, well beyond his departure in the summer of 2004.
There were later roles, including at Aston Villa. He will also be remembered for his work in developing a special generation of French talent at Clairefontaine, and was even awarded the Legion of Honor for his services to French football.
But it’s because of those memorable successes in 2001, and the joy with which he greeted them wide-eyed, that British football will surely remember him best.
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