Last Updated: March 01, 2023, 20:13 IST
Just Fontaine, the all-time prime scorer in a single World Cup finals with 13 targets, has died aged 89, his household informed AFP on Wednesday.
Fontaine achieved the document within the 1958 finals in Sweden the place France reached the semi-finals for the primary time of their historical past, dropping to Pele’s Brazil.
Part of a beautiful attacking trident at that World Cup alongside Roger Piantoni and Raymond Kopa, Fontaine would possibly by no means have gone to Sweden in any respect.
Only accidents to fellow forwards Thadee Cisowski and his Reims teammate Rene Bliard noticed him make the squad after which the beginning line-up.
“I’m saddened to listen to of the passing of Just Fontaine, as can be all those that love soccer and our nationwide workforce,” France coach Didier Deschamps said in comments published by the French Football Federation.
“‘Justo’ is and will remain a France legend.”
Fontaine additionally gained 4 French league titles, one with Nice and three with the nice Reims facet of the post-war period.
He performed within the Reims workforce that misplaced to the Real Madrid of Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Raymond Kopa within the 1959 European Cup ultimate.
Reims paid tribute to their former star by posting an image of him within the membership’s colors throughout his enjoying profession, calling him an “everlasting legend”.
Nice, for whom Fontaine scored 52 goals in 83 matches, said there would be a tribute to him ahead of their Ligue 1 game against Auxerre on Friday.
Fontaine was forced to retire in 1962 at the age of just 28 after he suffered a double leg fracture.
He later moved into management, lasting just two matches in charge of France in 1967 before leading Paris Saint-Germain to promotion to the top division in 1974 and then coaching Morocco to third place at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations.
“A monument of French football has left us,” PSG mentioned in an announcement.
“It is a tragic day for all those that love Paris Saint-Germain, a membership he led into the primary division 50 years in the past.”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed)
