Gérard Houllier, former Liverpool and France manager, dies aged 73.
Houllier coached the French national team between 1992 and 1993, as well as leading club sides Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon to French league titles.
In his six-year stint at the helm of Liverpool, Houllier won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and the League Cup twice.
He decided to step down as manager of English side Aston Villa in 2011 after he suffered a dissection of the descending aorta.
While Liverpool manager, Houllier underwent 11 hours of open-heart surgery after a tear was discovered in his aortic valve, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The French Football Federation said it sends its "most sincere condolences to the family and relatives" of Houllier.
One of the players who Houllier said he was most "proud" of coaching while he was Liverpool, Jamie Carragher, paid his tributes on Twitter.
"Absolutely devastated by the news about Gerard Houllier, I was in touch with him only last month to arrange him coming to Liverpool. Loved that man to bits, he changed me as a person & as a player & got LFC back winning trophies. RIP Boss,' tweeted the former Liverpool defender, who also played for England.
Changing Liverpool
Houllier began his managerial career in the 1970's before making his name as manager of Lens and PSG.
The Frenchman then became joint manager of Liverpool alongside Roy Evans n 1998.
Evans resigned just three months later, leaving Houiller to take sole charge of Liverpool, leading the club to a treble in the 2000-01 season.
After undergoing that heart surgery in 2001, Houllier later returned to the dugout and remained at Liverpool for another three years before leaving in 2004.
Transforming Liverpool into a more professional club is something Houllier is credited with during his time on Merseyside.
Houllier coached the French national team between 1992 and 1993, as well as leading club sides Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon to French league titles.
In his six-year stint at the helm of Liverpool, Houllier won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and the League Cup twice.
He decided to step down as manager of English side Aston Villa in 2011 after he suffered a dissection of the descending aorta.
While Liverpool manager, Houllier underwent 11 hours of open-heart surgery after a tear was discovered in his aortic valve, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The French Football Federation said it sends its "most sincere condolences to the family and relatives" of Houllier.
One of the players who Houllier said he was most "proud" of coaching while he was Liverpool, Jamie Carragher, paid his tributes on Twitter.
"Absolutely devastated by the news about Gerard Houllier, I was in touch with him only last month to arrange him coming to Liverpool. Loved that man to bits, he changed me as a person & as a player & got LFC back winning trophies. RIP Boss,' tweeted the former Liverpool defender, who also played for England.
Changing Liverpool
Houllier began his managerial career in the 1970's before making his name as manager of Lens and PSG.
The Frenchman then became joint manager of Liverpool alongside Roy Evans n 1998.
Evans resigned just three months later, leaving Houiller to take sole charge of Liverpool, leading the club to a treble in the 2000-01 season.
After undergoing that heart surgery in 2001, Houllier later returned to the dugout and remained at Liverpool for another three years before leaving in 2004.
Transforming Liverpool into a more professional club is something Houllier is credited with during his time on Merseyside.