French football has lost one of its most respected figures
The news hit the French game hard. Jean-Louis Gasset has died at 72, after decades at the top — on the pitch and on the touchline. Nothing flashy. Just work.
A Montpellier youth product, where he built most of his career, he moved into coaching early. A quiet operator who became the backbone of dressing rooms, Gasset made his name as a reliable technician, prized for his game-reading and his human touch.
A career defined by consistency
Over the years Jean-Louis Gasset coached or assisted at many of French football’s major clubs: Caen, Istres, Montpellier, Saint-Étienne, Bordeaux and Marseille. Often brought in to steady troubled ships, he was a pragmatic manager who could unite a group without ever chasing the spotlight.
His experience also crossed borders. Between 2022 and 2024 he took charge of the Ivory Coast national team, adding an international chapter to an already full résumé. In 2025 he returned one last time to Montpellier, his club of the heart, before handing over.
A respected figure in the dressing room
Gasset leaves the picture of an upright, passionate man, deeply tied to football’s values. Players, coaches and executives alike paid tribute to a sincere professional whose influence ran far beyond results.
French football loses today a man of the pitch — low-key but essential. Thoughts go out to his family, his close ones and everyone whose path he crossed.
Leave a Reply