Former President of Olympique Marceille - Bernard Tapie dies at the age of 78

 Former President of Olympique Marceille - Bernard Tapie dies at the age of 78

French financier and former politician Bernard Tapie, whose larger-than-life career was marked by a string of legal problems, has died aged 78 after a four-year battle with cancer. , his family announced today morning .

Bernard Tapie, whose business interests include a stake in the sportswear company Adidas, has suffered from stomach cancer. He is also the former president of the football club, OM Olympique de Marseille, which led them to the Champions League in 1993. He was later sent to prison for corruption in a match-fixing scandal. in the French first division.

"Olympique de Marseille is deeply saddened by the passing of Bernard Tapie. He will leave a great void in the heart of Marseillais and will forever remain in the club's legend," the club said. in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte released a statement colorfully calling Tapie a "gilded legend" who is still surrounded by many "shadows" regarding the law. "The man with the fighting spirit to move mountains and knock down the moon never gave up, battling cancer until the very end," the statement read.

Prime Minister Jean Castex also paid tribute to Tapie, who was a government minister in the 1990s, describing him as a "warrior".

One of his sons, Stéphane Tapie, marked his death with an Instagram post that read: "Goodbye, my Phoenix."

"He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren, who were always at his bedside," the statement said, adding that he wished to be buried in Marseille, "the city of the earth." Tapie's heart".

Bernard Tapie was born in 1943 in Paris, the son of a plumber, and overcame poverty in the suburbs to become one of the richest men in France. He also entered politics, becoming minister in charge of urban affairs in the government of François Mitterrand in the 1990s and later an MP in the French and European parliaments....

Tapie's life is like a full-length movie with all levels from the peak of the school to prison, accusations of fraud, endless trials .....but all is now in the past, goodbye Bernard Tapie - France and French football always remember and be indebted to him.

"Farewell, my Phoenix, of Ligue 1, of France".