Football World Pays Tribute To The Great Gérard Houllier

Donny Mahoney
By Donny Mahoney
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2020 has taken another legend of world football from us. Former Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier has sadly passed away aged 73. The Frenchman will always be warmly remembered for his stint managing Liverpool at the turn of the century but he achieved much more in the game.

Houllier was a thoroughly average footballer who managed the France national team that famously failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and served as an assistant for Aime Jacquet when France won the 1998 World Cup. He will always be known around Merseyside as the man who changed the club's fortunes after the Spice Boys era. After being appointed joint manager with Roy Evans in 1998, Houllier eventually took over the job on his own. His standout achievement was winning the treble in the 2000-2001 season, especially that bonkers 2001 UEFA Cup win over Alaves. His fingerprints were also prominently over Liverpool's Champions League win in 2005.

After leaving Liverpool, Houllier would manage Lyon and succeed Martin O'Neill as Aston Villa manager. He also served as technical director for the French Football Federation when France defeated Ireland to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Heart issues disrupted his time as Liverpool and Villa manager and L'Equipe have reported that Houllier died following heart surgery in Paris.

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His former players paid tribute to him on social media this morning, with many describing how Houllier changed their career.

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