For the dual-code rugby player, see Bernard Lacombe (rugby union).
Bernard Lacombe
Upright0.7
Birth date15 August 1952[1]
Birth placeLyon, France
Death date17 June 2025 (aged 72)
Death placeAlbigny-sur-Saône, France
Height1.71 m[1]
PositionStriker
Youthyears 11960–1969
Youthclubs 1CS Fontaines
Years 11969–1978
Clubs 1Lyon
Caps 1222
Goals 1123
Years 21978–1979
Clubs 2Saint-Étienne
Caps 232
Goals 214
Years 31979–1987
Clubs 3Bordeaux
Caps 3243
Goals 3118
Totalcaps497
Totalgoals255
Nationalyears 11973–1984
Nationalteam 1France
Nationalcaps 138
Nationalgoals 112
Manageryears 11996–2000
Managerclubs 1Lyon

Bernard Lacombe (bɛʁnaʁ lakɔ̃b; 15 August 1952 – 17 June 2025) was a French professional football player and manager. He played as a striker, mainly with Lyon, Bordeaux and Saint-Étienne and the France national team.

Career

Lacombe began his professional career with hometown club Lyon in 1969. One of his teammates, Aimé Jacquet, would be later his team manager (and the manager of the France national team which won the 1998 FIFA World Cup).

Lacombe earned his first cap for France in 1973. He went on to represent his nation at the 1978 World Cup, scoring after only 30 seconds against Italy, the fastest goal ever for a French player, and also the first goal of that tournament. Lacombe also played at the 1982 World Cup and won UEFA Euro 1984.[2]

After a brief stay with Saint-Étienne, Lacombe joined Bordeaux, where he was re-united with Aimé Jacquet. He won three French Ligue 1 championships. Lacombe won the Coupe de France twice (with Lyon and Bordeaux), and scored a goal in the 1973 Coupe de France Final.[3]

With 255 goals scored in Ligue 1, he is the second-best striker of all-time in the French championship, after Delio Onnis.[4]

After his playing career ended, Lacombe joined the technical staff of former club Lyon, first as technical manager (from 1988 to 1996), then as trainer (1996 to 2000) and manager. He was instrumental in the successes of the club in Ligue 1 and also on the European scene, helping lead his side to seven-straight UEFA Champions League appearances. Lacombe served as a "special adviser" to team president Jean-Michel Aulas for twenty years.[5] He also had significant influence on choices made; for example, he helped retain several Brazilian players who would join Lyon during the 2000s, including Juninho, Edmílson, Cris, Caçapa and Fred.

Death

Lacombe died on 17 June 2025, at the age of 72.[6][7]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[8][9]
ClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lyon1969–70Division 151—51
1970–7130—30
1971–723619—3619
1972–733523—3523
1973–7431134[a]13514
1974–7527174[b]43121
1975–7616500165
1976–773621—3621
1977–783324—3324
Total22212385230128
Saint-Étienne1978–79Division 13214—3214
Bordeaux1979–80Division 13311—3311
1980–813418—3418
1981–8233173[b]13618
1982–8333206[b]03920
1983–8435182[b]03718
1984–8536228[c]34425
1985–862371[c]0247
1986–871652[a]0185
Total243118224265122
Career total497255309527264
  1. ^ Appearances in European Cup Winners' Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in European Cup

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[8][9]
National teamYearAppsGoals
France197310
197432
1975—
197631
197740
197861
197944
198031
198132
198250
1983—
198461
Total3812
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lacombe goal.
List of international goals scored by Bernard Lacombe
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
127 April 1974Letná Stadium, Prague, CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia2–03–3Friendly
23–2
39 October 1976Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, BulgariaBulgaria2–02–21978 FIFA World Cup qualification
42 June 1978World Cup Stadium, Mar del Plata, ArgentinaItaly1–01–21978 FIFA World Cup
57 May 1979Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United StatesUnited States1–06–0Friendly
62–0
73–0
85 September 1979Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, SwedenSweden1–03–1UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
911 October 1980Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, CyprusCyprus1–07–01982 FIFA World Cup qualification
105 December 1981Parc des Princes, Paris, FranceCyprus2–04–01982 FIFA World Cup qualification
113–0
121 June 1984Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, FranceScotland2–02–0Friendly

Honours

Player

Lyon

Bordeaux

France

Manager

Lyon

References

  1. ^ "Bernard Lacombe" (in French). L'Équipe. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  2. ^ "OL: "L'INSTINCT DU FOOTBALL", THE BOOK THAT TRACES THE LEGEND OF BERNARD LACOMBE". www.tonicradio.fr. 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Bernard Lacombe revisits his successes in the Coupe de France". La Montagne. 13 December 2015.
  4. ^ "OL: Bernard Lacombe, 70 ans d'amour foot" (in French). Le Progrès. 15 August 2022.
  5. ^ "OL : Bernard Lacombe prendra sa retraite à la fin de l'année" (in French). L'Équipe. 5 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Bernard Lacombe, ancien footballeur international et champion d'Europe avec les Bleus en 1984, est mort à l'âge de 72 ans". Le Monde. 17 June 2025.
  7. ^ Bernard Lacombe, ancien footballeur international et champion d’Europe avec les Bleus en 1984, est mort à l’âge de 72 ans (in French)
  8. ^ "Bernard Lacombe » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  9. ^ 18709
  10. ^ "Lyon 3-2 Montpellier (Aggregate: 4 - 2)". UEFA. Archived 1 August 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 October 2020.