This was the first occasion to pay tribute to him.
This Wednesday at the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church in Paris, a religious ceremony was held in tribute to Bernard Tapie.
His family, relatives and many personalities, including former Marseille Olympique players Basile Boli and Jean-Pierre Papin, were present.
"
I was able to say goodbye to him, and that eases my grief a bit
," Boli said in an interview that appeared in L'Équipe on Wednesday.
I warmly thank Stéphane (one of his sons).
He called me last Thursday to tell me to come and see him quickly because he was going to be leaving.
I was able to speak to her one last time, kiss her one last time.
This is the last kiss I have.
"
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“
Bernard Tapie was a father figure,”
recalled Jean-Pierre Papin, OM striker between 1986 and 1992 and one of the key recruits of the Tapie era, for Le Parisien.
He has helped me so much in my family life, very important things. I have lost someone who was important to me and I am sad.
About 200 people gathered in front of the church without counting the journalists, shortly before the start of the mass. Other personalities outside the world of football, including the host Michel Drucker, the publicist Jacques Séguéla or the former President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy. 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.
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