French football is mourning the loss of one of its most recognisable figures after the death of Rolland Courbis. The legendary manager and former player has died at the age of 72, having represented and coached some of France’s most prestigious clubs, including Marseille, Rennes, Lyon and Monaco.
During his time at Rennes, Courbis played a pivotal role in nurturing the talent of Ousmane Dembele, who would later win the Ballon d’Or. Following his departure from management, he became regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in French football through his work as a pundit.
The announcement of his passing was made by Karim Nedjari, RMC’s general manager, on RMC radio. He said: “Rolland Courbis passed away this morning at five o’clock in the morning.”
Paying tribute, RMC posted online: “Since 2005, he has become a major media figure as a pundit on RMC, where he commented on football news with his direct style, his educational analyses, and his recognizable Marseilles accent.
“His voice and expressions became familiar to listeners of sports debate programs and match nights, to the point of making him one of the station’s iconic sports voices”.
As a player, Courbis secured the French championship (now Ligue 1) on three occasions – with Marseille in 1972, and twice with Monaco in 1978 and 1982.
Whilst major European honours eluded him in management, he guided Marseille to a UEFA Cup final and second-place league finish in 1999.
Courbis was a contentious figure in football, having served two prison sentences in 1990 and January 1991 related to the Toulon football club’s fund scandal, and again in 2009 over a scandal involving Marseille’s accounts.
He reportedly survived a shootout in 1996.
During a match in 1998, Courbis’ Marseille team were trailing 4-0 at half-time when he confidently told Montpellier owner Louis Nicollin: “I think we’ll win 5-4.”
Nicollin responded with admiration: “You got balls.”
To which Courbis retorted: “If I didn’t believe it, I would have stayed in the dressing room.”
Incredibly, Marseille did indeed stage a remarkable comeback to win the game 5-4, just as Courbis had boldly predicted.
His last managerial role was with Rennes in 2016, but he continued in coaching positions until his final stint as assistant coach at Sete in 2022.