Renowned French football icon Bernard Lacombe, a key member of France’s victorious Euro 1984 squad, has died at the age of 72 following a prolonged illness. His passing was confirmed on Tuesday, sending waves of mourning across the French football community and beyond.
Lacombe, who enjoyed a stellar club and international career, began his professional journey with his hometown club, Olympique Lyonnais. He later featured briefly for Saint-Etienne before sealing a move to Bordeaux, where he further etched his name into the history books of French football. Over the course of his impressive Ligue 1 career, Lacombe netted 255 goals in 497 appearances—an achievement that places him second on the all-time Ligue 1 scorers’ chart, behind only Argentine legend Delio Onnis, who has 299 goals to his name.
On the international stage, Lacombe made 38 appearances for the French national team, scoring 12 goals. He was part of the golden generation that triumphed at the 1984 UEFA European Championship on home soil, starting in the final against Spain, which Les Bleus won 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Following his retirement from active football, Lacombe returned to Lyon, the club where his journey began, and served in various capacities, including as manager between 1996 and 2000. His contributions off the pitch were equally influential, playing a pivotal role in the club’s rise in French football during the early 2000s.
In a heartfelt tribute on Tuesday, Olympique Lyonnais described Lacombe as a club legend and a towering figure in its history. “It’s with immense sadness that we learned of the death of Bernard Lacombe,” the club wrote. “Farewell Bernard, you were our legend, the greatest of all.”
Lacombe’s legacy in French football remains firmly intact, celebrated not only for his remarkable goal-scoring prowess but also for his commitment to nurturing and promoting talent in his post-playing career. His death marks the end of an era for French football, but his name will endure in the hearts of fans and the annals of Ligue 1 history.