Liverpool’s former manager Gerard Hollier dies at 73, the man who “built” Gerrard

The world of football is in tears as legendary French manager Gérard Houllier passed away last December 14. One of the most important managers in French football over the last thirty years and a one of the most successful managers in the last twenty years for Liverpool, American manager Jesse Marsch gave an emotional goodbye to his friend Houllier.

Gérard Houllier has been an underrated football manager. In the last twenty years, Houllier managed to win a lot of trophies for Liverpool and Lyon while also being a very influential figure in the French football. In addition, something that perhaps went a little bit unnoticed in recent years was his work with the Red Bull clubs, being their head of global football division. In this regard, Houllier was the one who interviewed the American manager Jesse Marsch when the American coach was appointed as manager of Red Bull Salzburg, developing a good relationship throughout the years.

This was definitely highlighted by Marsch’s recent statements in a post-match interview, talking about how he met Gerard Houllier and the relationship they had, to the point that he got very emotional and ended up crying on screen. Houllier led Liverpool to winning trophies in the early 2000s at a time where the Merseyside time was heavily struggling. Gerard Houllier was also key in the development of future legends of the club such as Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen or Steven Gerrard, with all them speaking highly of him throughout the years.

He was a very kind man, based on what many of his colleagues and players said as the years went by, and this is certainly emphasized by Marsch’s words, showing that a man’s influence in football is not just about the tactics or the results, but also the human factor that makes such a monumental difference. Gerard Houllier was and is a French football legend and one of the best managers in Liverpool’s recent history, who had a long and successful career. His influence still lives on in the likes of Marsch and the many players he coached throughout his life. Rest in Peace, Gérard.