First religious ceremony in tribute to Bernard Tapie, in Paris: his family, his relatives and many personalities including the First Lady Brigitte Macron met on Wednesday at the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris.
See also Bernard Tapie: a family united around his wife Dominique
The coffin entered the church to applause, noted an AFP journalist.
The personalities arrived in droplets, filtered by an important security service.
Bernard Tapie's coffin entered the church to applause.
ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
Host Michel Drucker, footballer Basile Boli, general manager of the news channel BFM TV Marc-Olivier-Fogiel, publicist Jacques Séguéla, and businessman Xaviel Niel came running, as well as personalities of the cinema, such as the director Claude Lelouch, the actress and singer Line Renaud or the actor Pierre Arditi.
Read also Claude Lelouch pays tribute to Bernard Tapie: "Dazzled, I went to see him to offer him a role"
In the assembly, one noted among the political figures the former president Nicolas Sarkozy, the ex-ministers Jean-Louis Borloo, Bernard Kouchner and Rachida Dati.
"Ah, it's for Nanard!"
From 10 am, a hundred onlookers were already taking their places in front of the church.
Some even brought chairs for the occasion.
Many police officers surrounded the square of the church.
"Ah, it's for Nanard,"
exclaimed a man passing by.
"I came to greet the sportsman and the man who brought a lot to French football,"
testified Hugues Modestin, 54, saying he took advantage of his day off.
"I am from the West Indies and the fact that he gave OM a chance, to players like Jocelyn Angloma, from Guadeloupe, was important to me."
"He is a figure in France, of business and politics,"
explained Jean-Claude, a 68-year-old retiree from Val-de-Marne
"to pay homage" to him
.
"He did some good things, others bad, we must remember the whole"
, added his wife, Françoise, 77 years old.
Claude Lelouch, Franz Olivier Giesbert, Didier Barbelivien and Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice (from behind) came to attend this first mass in homage to Bernard Tapie.
ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
About 200 people gathered in front of the church, not counting journalists, shortly before the start of the religious ceremony.
Bernard Tapie died Sunday at the age of 78 at his Parisian home from cancer.
A fiery chapel will be erected Thursday in Marseille, where he is to be buried on Friday.
To read also Marseille pays homage to the "boss" Bernard Tapie, before hosting his funeral