Jean-Louis Gasset passed away

A smile, piercing Mediterranean blue eyes, he was a native of Montpellier, where he had followed in the footsteps of his father, Bernard, co-founder of MHSC. A sing-song accent, childlike mischief, and always a quick quip that made people smile or laugh. He had a keen knowledge of soccer, an unparalleled ability to thwart his opponents' plans, and an infinite understanding of the green rectangle, his playground since his debut as a player in 1969 and his debut at AS Béziers.

On Friday, December 26, Saint-Étienne Day, Jean-Louis Gasset passed away at the age of 72. With him go wonderful memories of his 18 months at ASSE, where he carved out a special place for himself in the modern history of the Saint-Étienne club, as well as a unique career filled with trophies and success..

Pioneer in Montpellier

In the mid-1970s, with ASSE dominating French soccer, Jean-Louis Gasset began his career. The year 1975 was a turning point for him, as he made his professional debut with Montpellier HSC, his hometown club. A hard-working midfielder, he spent his entire playing career there, retiring ten years later after 263 official matches.

His time with La Paillade wasn't over yet, as he went on to become assistant coach before taking on the role of head coach in 1998. Three years later, he joined Paris Saint-Germain as assistant to Luis Fernandez, whom he followed to Espanyol Barcelona for his first experience abroad.

Blanc-Gasset winning duo

It was with former ASSE player Laurent Blanc, who played for the club between 1993 and 1995 and whom he worked alongside at Montpellier, that Jean-Louis Gasset went on to add to his list of achievements. After finishing as runners-up in France with Girondins de Bordeaux in 2008, the duo went on to win the domestic treble in 2009 with the club. They repeated this feat from 2014 to 2016 with Paris Saint-Germain, which he joined after coaching the French national team from 2010 to 2012.

Successfull with Saint-Étienne

“Do you know why this club will always be the most loved by the French? Because without it, they would have missed out on this sport,” explained Jean-Louis Gasset in December 2018. The coach was celebrating his first year at the helm of ASSE, which he managed to turn around in no time, and saw his appointment as a nod to his childhood loves.

Protective, a man of few but well-chosen words, the Montpellier native quickly made his mark. An attentive spectator of Les Verts during their heyday, he was assisted by Ghislain Printant, a loyal supporter among loyal supporters, and breathed new life into a club that was struggling after a poor start to the season. Twenty games after his debut, Saint-Étienne came within a hair's breadth of qualifying for the European Cup and achieved a historic comeback (10 wins, 5 draws, 5 losses). Thirty-five points in the second half of the season alone, an unprecedented feat, and a smile returned to the faces of the Green Army, who quickly made him their darling.

His cap, religiously screwed onto his head, his husky voice, and his unfailing calm are all assets up his sleeve. His address book does the rest: Mathieu Debuchy, Neven Subotic, and Yann M'Vila, in particular, trust him and follow him in his Saint-Étienne venture. Despite their impressive careers across Europe, they all respect him, listen to him, and follow him. He is a guide, a boss, a father to his players, and an accomplished grandfather in his personal life. “The best compliment? When my grandchildren tell me I'm the best grandpa in the world!” he admits.

Confirmed as head coach of the first team in the summer of 2018, Jean-Louis Gasset then led the men of captain Loïc Perrin, one of his trusted lieutenants, to a magnificent fourth place finish. It was a return to Europe celebrated by an entire stadium, even if the man, who loved discretion and staying in the shadows, never put himself forward. Eighteen months after his arrival, the coach who wanted to “restore pride to the people” had succeeded in his challenge (63 games, 31 wins, 16 draws).

Back to Montpellier

A mission-driven technician, he accepted a “100-day, no more” contract with Olympique de Marseille in February 2024. Once again, he managed to leave his mark amid the turmoil in Marseille. Five consecutive victories to start with, a feat not seen since 1962, and a run to the semi-finals of the Europa League: the man still had what it takes and, despite the storm, he once again managed to calm the waters.

Although he was unable to save MHSC from relegation in the spring of 2025, a year earlier he had a short-lived spell at the helm of the Ivory Coast, which he left at the start of an Africa Cup of Nations that the host country ultimately won. Intelligent, he knew when to step aside and guide the Elephants to a title that was more eagerly awaited than ever in the country.

On Friday, December 26, 2025, at the age of 72, Jean-Louis Gasset passed away. French soccer is in mourning. A player, coach, assistant coach, and captain of sometimes poorly moored boats, he always knew how to steer his vessels to dry land and weather the headwinds.

AS Saint-Étienne offers its sincere condolences and shares in the grief of his son Robin, his daughter Coralie, his mother Éliane, his grandchildren, his loved ones, and his friends. The club will never forget a man who helped write indelible pages in its history, will keep him in its memory forever, and will pay tribute to him when Montpellier visits in early February.