French football mourns the loss of Rolland Courbis, a former champion player, coach and outspoken media personality, who has died at the age of 72.
FRENCH football personality Rolland Courbis has died at the age of 72, his employer RMC announced.
The former player and coach was best known for his outspoken media commentary and a long career rescuing clubs from relegation.
As a player, Courbis won the French league title three times, with Marseille in 1972 and with Monaco in 1978 and 1982.
He later managed over 500 games in Ligue 1 across a coaching career spanning Marseille, Toulon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Caen.
His time at Marseille was particularly notable, though he also served two jail sentences related to financial issues at a club he managed.
Courbis ended his coaching career at Caen in 2019, by which time he was already a well-established and opinionated media pundit for RMC.
France coach Didier Deschamps said French football had lost “an endearing, warm personality with a strong character” and a “true enthusiast”.
Deschamps added that Courbis had “chosen to share his passion in recent years, behind a microphone, with a unique way of expressing himself”.
Marseille paid tribute, calling Courbis “an emblematic coach and a key personality in French football”.
