Bill Russell, Fernando Chalana, Mike Birch, Benoît Dauga ... the main missing from the world of sport in 2022

January

1: Vadim KHAMUTTSKIKH, 52, Russian volleyball player, world champion and three-time Olympic medalist.

18: Paco GENTO, 88, Spanish player for Real Madrid between 1953 and 1971, the only player in history to have won six European Cups.

19: Lusia HARRIS, 66, the only woman officially drafted by a men's NBA team, the New Orleans Jazz in 1977.

19: Peter ROBINSON, 86, secretary then general manager of Liverpool FC from 1965 to 2000, during which time the Reds won 29 titles and trophies.

24: Szilveszter CSOLLANY, 51, Hungarian gymnast, double Olympic champion in 2000 in Sydney.

25: Wim JANSEN, 75, Dutch football international, double World Cup finalist in 1974 and 1978, Feyenoord Rotterdam icon where he served as coach, technical director and adviser after a playing career.

29: Guy LAPORTE, 69, former international opener, finalist of the Rugby World Cup in 1987 with the XV of France.

FEBRUARY

10: Jean-Henri JAEGER, 77, surgeon, who had operated on the elite of football.

14: Eduardo ROMERO, 67, Argentinian golf player, winner of eight titles on the European circuit and more than 80 titles in South America.

MARCH

4: Maryan WISNIEWSKI, 85, hero of the Blues epic at the 1958 World Cup alongside Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine.

19: Federico Martin ARAMBURU, 42, former Argentine rugby international who passed through Biarritz, Perpignan and Dax, killed following an altercation in Paris.

26: Aimé MIGNOT, 89, player then coach of Olympique Lyonnais and coach of the French women's team.

APRIL

6: Tom SMITH, 50, pillar of the XV of Scotland and the British Lions, former player of CA Brive.

14: Freddy RINCON, 55, football star in Colombia, member of the golden generation qualified for three consecutive World Cups, died in a road accident.

15: Jack NEWTON, 72, former Australian golf champion.

15: Mike BOSSY, 65, NHL champion four years in a row with the New York Islanders from 1980 to 1983, one of the league's top scorers.

16: Joachim STREICH, 71, former East German striker, leading scorer in the history of the GDR, nicknamed the “Gerd Müller of the East”.

22: Guy LAFLEUR, 70, Canadian NHL legend, legendary Montreal Canadiens player, winner of five Stanley Cups, nicknamed the “blonde demon”.

24: Dawie DE VILLIERS, 81, former scrum half and captain of the Springboks.

30: Mino RAIOLA, 54, famous player agent including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland.

MAY

9: Adreian PAYNE, 31, American basketball player, passed by the US university championship and the NBA, killed by firearm.

11: Bob LANIER, 73, former Detroit Pistons center, Hall of Famer, eight-time All-Star Game selection.

18: Faouzi MANSOURI, 66, Algerian ex-professional footballer.

27: Jean CARRERE, 92, third line of the French rugby team.

29: Lester PIGGOTT, 86, considered one of the greatest jockeys of all time, nicknamed "Long Fellow", winner of 4,493 races, including nine editions of the Epsom Derby.

JUNE

8: Julio JIMENEZ, 87, cycling legend, three-time best climber in the Tour de France and the Vuelta.

12: Bernd BRANSCH, 77, former captain of the East German football team, Olympic champion in 1976 in Montreal.

12: Phil BENNETT, 73, fly half and captain of Wales in the 1970s.

24: Alain PLANTEFOL, 79, former second line of the XV of France and Agen, winner of the Grand Slam in 1968.

28: Jean-Hervé STIEVENART, 67, iconic French triple jump coach.

JULY

2: Andy GORAM, 58, goalkeeper, Glasgow Rangers legend.

13: Marcel REMY, 99, mountaineer, dean of his sport in Switzerland and one of the oldest active climbers in the world.

21: Uwe SEELER, 85, one of the greatest figures in post-war German football.

30: Jean BOBET, 92 years old, French cyclist, brother of Louison Bobet, winner of Paris-Nice in 1955.

31: Bill RUSSELL, 88, American basketball legend, 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics including two titles as a player-coach, Olympic gold medalist in 1956.

AUGUST

10: Fernando CHALANA, 63, midfielder for Benfica Lisbon, Girondins de Bordeaux and the Portugal team.

22: Tom WEISKOPF, 79, American golf player, winner of the British Open in 1973.

25: Herman VAN SPRINGEL, 79, Belgian cyclist, seven-time winner of the Bordeaux-Paris classic, Belgian champion in 1971.

SEPTEMBER

2: Earnie SHAVERS, 78, American boxer in the heavyweight category, defeated by Muhammad Ali then Larry Holmes for a world champion title.

15: Eddie BUTLER, 65, ex-captain of the XV of Wales, player of the British Lions and Barbarians.

26: Jean-René TOUMELIN, 80, former president of the professional section of FC Nantes from 1996 to 1998.

30: Luis QUINONES, 25, Colombian boxer victim of a cranio-encephalic trauma during a fight.

OCTOBER

1: Antonio INOKI, 79 years old, famous Japanese wrestler, who became a parliamentarian.

4: Aïda BA, 39, former third line of the XV of France.

6: Phil READ, 83 years old, motorcycle rider, seven times world champion including twice in the premier category in 1973 and 1974.

22: Masato KUDO, 32, Japanese international striker, died of complications following brain surgery.

26: Mike BIRCH, 90, Canadian sailor, first winner of the Route du Rhum in 1978.

NOVEMBER

3: Benoît DAUGA, 80, ex-second row and ex-captain of the XV of France, winner of the first French Grand Slam, nicknamed the "Grand Ferré".

11: Henry ANGLADE, 89, French cyclist, second in the 1959 Tour de France, nicknamed “Napoleon”.

16: Johan HAMEL, 42, referee who led nearly 250 professional matches, including 136 in Ligue 1 as main referee.

17: Aleksander GORSHKOV, 76, first Olympic champion in ice dancing, president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation.

26: Fernando GOMES, 66, Portuguese footballer, double winner of the Golden Shoe in the 80s and top scorer in the history of FC Porto.

26: Doddie WEIR, 52, former Scottish rugby international in the 1990s.

30: Davide REBELLIN, 51, triple winner of the Flèche Wallonne and 2008 Olympic vice-champion, knocked down by a truck.

DECEMBER

4: Patrick TAMBAY, 73, French Formula 1 driver in the 70s and 80s for McLaren and Ferrari with two victories.

5: Nick BOLLETTIERI, 91, former tennis coach who notably trained Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova.

10: Walter BENETEAU, 50, former French professional cyclist who has participated in seven Tours de France.