Former Marseille president, businessman Bernard Tapie dies

3 years ago 251

PARIS – Bernard Tapie, a flamboyant businessman who was beloved by sports fans for starring French shot nine Marseille to glory but besides dogged by ineligible battles and corruption investigations, has died. He was 78.

A diagnostic of French beingness for decades, Tapie's decease Sunday unleashed tributes from crossed the worlds of sports, politics, concern and amusement successful France, reflecting the wide-ranging, storied and repeatedly arguable assortment of his aggregate careers and endeavors.

“He led a 1000 lives,” the bureau of French President Emmanuel Macron said successful a connection of condolence to his family. It said Tapie's “ambition, vigor and enthusiasm were a root of inspiration for generations of French.”

Tapie's wife, Dominique, and their 2 children announced his decease to the Marseille paper La Provence, which helium owned. Tapie had been warring cancer, diagnosed successful 2017.

The family's connection said Tapie wanted to beryllium buried successful Marseille, “the metropolis of his heart." He was adored determination by fans of the city's shot club, which counts Macron among its supporters. The nine tweeted that “he volition permission a large void successful the hearts of the radical of Marseille."

Lille and Marseille fans joined unneurotic successful a moment’s applause earlier their lucifer connected Sunday arsenic a representation of Tapie was shown connected Lille's scoreboard. Marseille players wore achromatic armbands.

Tapie's popularity peaked during the 1980's and ‘90’s when, arsenic nine president, helium guided Marseille to triumph successful the 1993 Champions League. Marseille is the lone French nine to person won European soccer's showcase nine competition.

Euphoric Marseille fans sang “We Are the Champions” precocious into the nighttime aft defender Basile Boli’s slug header defeated Italian elephantine AC Milan 1-0 successful Munich. The broadside was captained by Didier Deschamps, a midfielder whose immense enactment ethic matched Tapie’s and who past coached Marseille to the league rubric successful 2010 and France to World Cup glory successful 2018.

“Bernard Tapie's decease profoundly saddens me. It's nether his guidance that I experienced my archetypal large achievements,” Deschamps said. “But I support galore different memories of our narration and I volition ne'er hide that helium shaped my path. He decidedly strengthened my tone arsenic a rival ... his robust volition rubs disconnected connected players."

Tapie was highly demanding of his players but besides adjacent to them. Among his prima recruits were dazzling wingers Enzo Francescoli and Chris Waddle, ruthless finisher Rudi Voeller and imposing cardinal defender Carlos Mozer. Long earlier the days of societal networks and camera phones, Tapie would beryllium filmed opening Champagne with his players successful the dressing country aft a large win.

“RIP Bernard Tapie what a antheral Legend,” Waddle tweeted and shared a photograph of him lasting alongside prolific striker Jean-Pierre Papin with Tapie down them.

Players were devoted to him and played electrifying attacking shot that lit up stadiums successful France and abroad.

Marseille besides won 5 French league titles betwixt 1989-93 and the league and French Cup treble successful ’89. But the '93 rubric was stripped and Marseille relegated to the 2nd tier due to the fact that of a match-fixing scandal. Players for league rival Valenciennes were paid to propulsion a game, with a lump sum of wealth buried successful the plot of 1 of the players. Tapie was convicted of rigging the match and served much than 5 months successful jail. Marseille was not capable to support its European crown.

The authoritative successful that lawsuit said astatine the clip that “soccer has travel retired of this sordid, stained and dirty.”

Marseille fans, however, continued to adore Tapie. Admirers connected Sunday attached bouquets of flowers to a representation of Tapie erected extracurricular the club's stadium.

Tributes besides came from Marseille's rivals. Paris Saint-Germain prima Kylian Mbappe tweeted: “RIP to this large man.”

Known by the nickname “Nanar,” the gregarious Tapie started his vocation arsenic a vocalist and made his luck by buying retired struggling companies. He was a acquainted fig for decades, known for his tailored suits and a wide little jaw.

A multifaceted businessman, Tapie was besides an histrion who looked comfy successful the limelight erstwhile connected the Paris theatre signifier and arsenic a politician. Appearing often connected television, Tapie became a personage with his excesses, successes and failures that led to bankruptcy and ineligible battles.

Tapie was calved successful Paris successful 1943. After a abbreviated and unsuccessful stint arsenic a popular singer, Tapie thought astir embracing a vocation successful car racing earlier a superior mishap near him successful a coma.

He sold televisions and past specialized successful the betterment and resale of companies. One of the archetypal businesses Tapie purchased was Leclanche Wonder, a artillery manufacturer.

His masterstroke came successful 1990 erstwhile helium bought German sporting goods institution Adidas, a determination that besides proved to beryllium his downfall.

Tapie, who concisely served arsenic curate of metropolis affairs nether the precocious French President Francois Mitterrand and was a subordinate of the French parliament for respective years, sold his bulk involvement successful Adidas done French slope Credit Lyonnais successful 1992. Tapie past claimed the woody was mismanaged and began a 20-year ineligible conflict with the slope successful an effort to assertion damages.

In 2017, an entreaty tribunal ordered him to repay 404 cardinal euros ($449 million) that helium was awarded successful 2008 for the disputed merchantability of the company.

Tapie’s immense appetite for endeavor besides led him into sports beyond soccer. He managed prima cyclists Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond to victories successful the Tour de France with the La Vie Claire team.

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Associated Press writer John Leicester successful Paris contributed to this report.

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