The career of Bernard Lacombe, French football legend, summed up in ten figures

10

Ten years old, that's the age at which little Bernard attended his first match at the Stade-Gerland, with his father. "I'll be the center forward for OL," he set himself, like a challenge, brilliantly accomplished thereafter.

258

He wore the OL jersey 258 times between December 7, 1969, the date of his first professional match (and goal), and his forced departure to Saint-Etienne in 1978.

3

This is the number of professional clubs played in Lacombe's career (OL, ASSE, Girondins de Bordeaux), who is also the 3rd best scorer in OL's history, with 149 goals scored for Les Gones.

173

A featherweight (68 kg), the Rhône center forward was also quite small, measuring 1.73 meters. A size that didn't stop him from being a terror in the box.

1984

1984 was a pivotal year for Lacombe, who was crowned French champion for the first time in his career (he would also be crowned champion in 1985 and 1987). He followed this up with a victory at Euro 1984 with Michel Hidalgo's Les Bleus.

38

Lacombe wore the French national team jersey 38 times, scoring 12 goals. 38 is also the number of seconds it took him to open the scoring against Italy on June 2, 1978, in the World Cup. A speed record beaten by Franck Sauzée in 1991.

52.4

Retiring in 1987, the former striker joined Jean-Michel Aulas in a new role as sporting director. He took over at OL in 1996, where he spent four seasons managing 164 matches, with a winning percentage of 52.4% (86, against 29 draws and 49 defeats).

255

With 255 goals scored in the French Championship, Lacombe is the second best scorer in the history of the First Division, behind the Italian-Argentinian Delio Onnis (299 goals).

7

Having become an advisor to President Aulas in 2000 after having been sporting director and coach, he partly built the OL squad which would go on to win seven French championship titles in a row, between 2002 and 2008.

72

Born on August 15, 1952 in Villefranche-sur-Saône, Bernard Lacombe died this Tuesday, June 17 at the age of 72.