Bernard Lacombe, the former France international and prolific Ligue 1 striker, has passed away at the age of 72 after a long illness.
Lacombe began his professional career with his hometown club Lyon before brief spells at Saint-Étienne and Bordeaux. Over the course of his career, he scored an impressive 255 goals in 497 Ligue 1 matches—making him the second-highest scorer in French top-flight history, behind only Argentine Delio Onnis (299 goals).
At the international level, Lacombe made 38 appearances for France, netting 12 goals. He was part of the squad that won the 1984 European Championship on home soil and started in the 2-0 final victory over Spain in Paris.
After retiring from playing, Lacombe returned to Lyon, where he served in various roles, including manager from 1996 to 2000. His legacy at the club remained strong, with Lyon paying tribute to him in a heartfelt statement:
“It’s with immense sadness that we learned of the death of Bernard Lacombe. Farewell Bernard, you were our legend, the greatest of all.”
Lacombe’s contribution to French football, both as a player and as a figure at Lyon, leaves a lasting impact on the sport.
