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Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier died at the age of 73.
The Frenchman coached the Reds from 1998 to 2004 and led them to five major trophies, including the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Uefa Cup treble in 2000-01.
Before Liverpool, Houllier managed Lens, Paris St-Germain and the French team, and after leaving the Reds he won two Ligue 1 titles in Lyon.
His last managerial job was at Aston Villa, but he left in 2011 after nine months, due to heart problems.
In a statement, Liverpool said they were “deeply saddened” by Houllier’s death.
“We are mourning the passing of our coach, Gerard Houllier,” the club said.
“Everyone’s thoughts at Liverpool Football Club are with Gerard’s family and many friends.”
Aston Villa said: “Everyone at Aston Villa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier, our coach during the 2010-11 season.
“Our thoughts are with Gerard’s loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”
Houllier made a name for himself as a coach with Lens and PSG in the 1980s before taking over the French team in 1992.
However, after Les Bleus failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup final, with Houllier blaming a mistake by winger David Ginola for his departure, he resigned.
In 1998, he moved to England and took over Liverpool as a joint manager alongside Roy Evans.
Evans resigned three months later and Houllier took over exclusively, rebuilding the Reds and leading them to an unprecedented treble in the 2000-01 season.
In October 2001, he underwent open heart surgery after suffering chest pains during a home game against Leeds, but returned to the dugout at Anfield and stayed there for another three years before leaving in May 2004.
After leaving Liverpool, he led Lyon to two French titles before joining the French Football Federation in 2007, but Villa lured him back to management in September 2010, signing a three-year contract.
But the following April Houllier was admitted to the hospital with chest pains and Gary McAllister stepped in to help Villa away from relegation trouble.
He resigned from his position at the end of the 2010-11 season with concerns that a return to the dugout could cause further health problems.
Since then, he has served as head of soccer at Red Bull, and in November became technical director of the Lyon and OL Reign women’s soccer clubs.
| Matches | 307 |
| Win | 160 |
| Giveaways | 73 |
| Losses | 74 |
| Goals scored | 516 |
| Objectives granted | 298 |
Treble winners pay tribute
Many of the Liverpool crew from 2000-01 rushed to pay tribute to their former boss.
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp wrote in Instagram: “Incredibly sad news to hear about the passing of Gerard Houllier. A man who did an incredible job for Liverpool and for football in general. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. I will never forget the day that I gave the captaincy of the Liverpool, the greatest honor of my career. “
Dietmar hamann He said: “Devastated to hear the news that our former coach Gerard Houllier passed away. Great coach and an even better man. You will never walk alone Gerard.”
Phil ThompsonHoullier’s assistant coach at Liverpool said he was “absolutely devastated and heartbroken”.
The world of football pays tribute
The rest of the football world also paid tribute to Houllier, with many Premier League teams tweeting their condolences, including Tottenham, West Ham, Manchester United and Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton.
Current and former Liverpool players also paid tribute, with Djibril cisse, tweeting: “Today I am very sad. Thanks to you, I was able to play in this wonderful @LFC. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me.”
Neil Mellor He said, “Thank you for believing in me and giving me my professional debut.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, former co-manager of Houllier Roy evans He said: “The passing of Gerard Houllier is a really sad day for all Liverpool fans.
On the difficulty of trying to work as co-managers, he added: “It was more or less impossible, you have two people trying to do a job. Soccer has to do with different opinions and things and that’s why I walked away at that time.
“But I never had that against Gerard, he came to do a job and he did it well.
“The last time I saw him was about 12 months ago in Ireland and we had a good chat. He is another Liverpool legend who has passed away.”
England female coach Phil Neville He said that Houllier was an “absolute gentleman”.
“When I became a coach [he] It was very supportive who came to see me before every game at the 2019 Women’s World Cup to wish me all the best and to talk about the game that I loved, “Neville said in Instagram.
Former England winger Ashley youngNow at Inter Milan, he played with Houllier at Aston Villa.
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