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Former Liverpool and France coach Gerard Houllier has died, according to French media.
The 73-year-old, who also ran Aston Villa, Olympique Lyonnais and Paris St Germain, died after undergoing heart surgery in Paris, L’Equipe said.
Former England striker Michael Owen, who played with Houllier at Liverpool, wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely heartbroken to hear that my former boss, Gérard Houllier, sadly passed away. A great coach and a genuinely caring man.”
Gary Lineker, who played for Liverpool’s close rivals Everton, called him one of the “smartest, warmest and most charming people in football.”
The Frenchman initially joined the club as a joint coach with Roy Evans in 1998, an unusual experiment that was unsuccessful.
In November of that year, Evans left the club and Houllier took sole charge of the team.
Their longest-lasting achievement came in 2001, when the Reds won a League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup (now Europa League) treble, as well as finishing third in the Premier League.
But just a few months later, in October, he fell ill at halftime in a game for Leeds and was taken to the hospital for an emergency operation after doctors discovered he had a heart condition known as aortic dissection.
He returned to the bench five months later and guided the team to second place in the league, at the time his best result.
However, he was fired in 2004 after failing to build on the progress he had made.
Before his time at Anfield, he managed the French team.
Appointed in 1992, he resigned the following year after failing to lead the team to the 1994 world cup final, despite having talents like Eric Cantona and David Ginola at his disposal.
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