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Former France, Cameroon And Ivory Coast Coach Henri Michel Dies At Age 70

Published

7 years ago

April 26, 2018

Former French international and manager Henri Michel passed away at the age of 70.
Henri Michel played 58 times for his country between 1967 and 1980, and later guided the Olympic and senior Les Bleus sides.
He led the Olympic side to the gold medal at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, beating Brazil 2-0 in the final. Under his guidance the senior side reached the semifinals of the 1986 World Cup before defeat to West Germany.
Michel briefly managed Paris Saint Germain in 1990, but then spent the rest of his career almost exclusively in Africa.
He led Cameroon (1994), Morocco (1998) and Ivory Coast (2006) to the World Cup finals, and also managed Tunisia (2001-2002), Equatorial Guinea (2011) and Kenya (2012), his last job.
He also managed a number of major clubs throughout Africa, including Raja Casablanca, Zamalek and Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Aside from his extensive career Henri was an exceptional man,” said France legend Michel Platini, who played alongside Michel for the national team between 1976 and 1980.
“A faithful friend with a rare sense of loyalty. Someone with whom you could go to the end of the earth without ever doubting his support or presence.”
“What terrible news,” Hidalgo said. “I knew he’d had health problems but I hadn’t realised how serious they were.
“He was a great friend, a true professional, a great guy in every respect.”