Former Liverpool and France manager Gerard Houllier is no more

Bengaluru, December 14: Former Liverpool and France manager Gerard Houllier passed away at the age of 73.

Houllier's best year with the Reds came in the 2000-2001 season when he guided them to League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup successes before sealing a place in the UEFA Champions League for the following season.

Though the real cause of death is not known, RMC sport and L'Equipe reported that Houllier passed away after having a heart operation in Paris.

"We're mourning the passing of our treble-winning manager, Gerard Houllier," Liverpool tweeted from their official account.

"The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Gerard's family and many friends.

Rest in peace, Gerard Houllier 1947-2020," the club tweet added.

The Frenchman managed the Reds for six years between 1998 and 2004, winning five major honours.

Houllier also managed Olympique Lyonnais, Paris and Saint-Germain.

He was regarded as one the most distinguished coaches in French football and had spells at Le Touquet, Noeux-les-Mines and Lens early in his managerial career.

In 1985, Houllier was appointed PSG boss and led them to the top-flight title in the 1985-86 season.

He was initially appointed technical director and assistant coach of Les Bleus under Michel Platini in 1988 before taking over as boss in 1992, but resigned a year later after France failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

After working with France's Under-18 and Under-20 teams, Houllier was named as co-manager alongside Roy Evans at Liverpool - a city where he had once worked as an assistant in a school.

The collaboration did not work out and Evans left his post in November 1998 but Houllier then made it big with the Reds.

The following season, Houllier guided Liverpool to a second-place finish in the Premier League. It was during that campaign Houllier was rushed to hospital after he fell ill during a match against Leeds United in October 2001 with a heart condition.

Houllier departed Anfield at the end of the 2003-04 campaign and went on to win back-to-back Ligue 1 titles with Lyon, before later returning to the Premier League for a brief spell with Aston Villa.

(With inputs from Agencies)