The man who guided Marseille to Champions League glory is seldom remembered outside France and Belgium but his tactical wizardry and brushes with crime render him a fascinating figure
The first final after the rebranding of Europe’s premiere club competition as the Champions League took place 27 years ago this Tuesday. It was a stinker. Marseille, who beat Milan 1-0 in Munich, had contested an even grimmer final two years previously, losing the European Cup on penalties to Red Star Belgrade. Two lustreless showpieces are part of the reason why Marseille’s then manager, Raymond Goethals, is seldom recalled as a great outside France and his native Belgium despite an extraordinary career spanning nearly four decades.
Related: Daniele Massaro: ‘The Marseille defeat filled us with grief. But we came back’
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