Simply Fontaine’s former membership Stade de Reims and the French soccer federation confirmed the French star’s demise on Wednesday following a powerful strike fee of 259 objectives out of a complete of 283 matches in his membership profession.
Fontaine scored a report 13 objectives in a single version of the World Cup. He took six video games to realize his feat on the 1958 event in Sweden, shortly after profitable a French league and French Cup double for his aspect.
“Justo is, and can stay a legend of the French group,” France coach Didier Deschamps mentioned.
Coming into the World Cup event, the Moroccan-born Fontaine was a little-known ahead exterior of the French league. But he tormented opponents along with his velocity and final touch — and even with another person’s boots. He needed to borrow a pair of cleats after damaging his personal boots in observe.
Fontaine scored 4 objectives within the third-place sport towards West Germany however may have had 5 if he had taken the penalty kick.
Along with his feats with the nationwide group, Fontaine gained the French league title 4 occasions, the French Cup and reached the ultimate of the 1959 European Cup throughout his membership profession with USM Casablanca, Good and Reims.
After he retired, Fontaine co-founded France’s gamers’ union and served as chairman for a number of years. He additionally briefly coached France’s nationwide group earlier than stints with Luchon, Paris Saint-Germain, Toulouse and the Moroccan nationwide group.
“A French soccer icon has handed, and Paris Saint-Germain want to pay tribute to the person who led them to the primary division some 50 years in the past,” PSG mentioned in a press release, referring to Fontaine guiding the membership to the highest league after a playoff win in 1974.
The French soccer federation mentioned tributes to Fontaine will happen throughout France this weekend with a “minute of homage” that may also be noticed on Wednesday earlier than French Cup video games at Toulouse, Marseille and Nantes.
“The demise of Simply Fontaine plunges French soccer into deep emotion and immense disappointment,” mentioned Philippe Diallo, the French federation’s interim president. “He was an emblematic determine, along with his unbelievable report of 13 objectives on the 1958 World Cup. He wrote one of the vital stunning pages within the historical past of the French nationwide group.”
Fontaine’s meteoric rise as a scorer noticed him get 200 objectives in 213 video games. He scored 30 objectives in 21 video games for France
Fontaine’s profession was dramatically reduce quick when he was solely 28. The Frenchman — famend for his lightning tempo and ruthless ending — suffered a horrendous leg fracture after a mistimed sort out in March 1960.
