France Euro 1984 Winner Bernard Lacombe Dies Aged 72

Bernard Lacombe, a French football legend renowned for his prolific career as a striker, has died at the age of 72. He was a key member of the French national team that won the European Championship in 1984 and holds the record for the fastest goal scored by a French player at a World Cup, netting against Italy within 30 seconds in 1978. Lacombe scored 304 goals in 592 club appearances, ranking as the second-highest goal scorer in Ligue 1 history, with notable spells at Lyon, Bordeaux, and Saint-Étienne. After retiring as a player in 1987, he managed Lyon from 1996 to 2000 and served for two decades as a special advisor, playing a crucial role in retaining key players. Tributes have poured in from his former clubs Lyon and Bordeaux, as well as from the French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo, who praised Lacombe's indelible impact on French football as a player, coach, and manager. Lacombe is the first member of the Euro 1984-winning squad to pass away, leaving behind a lasting legacy in French football.