They don’t make them like that anymore, do they?A crook, a cheater, a sinner, an actor, a singer, a TV presenter, a business master, a politician, a rescuer, a destroyer. And much more. All in one.The cynical one would say that late Bernard Tapie, who died this morning at the age of 78, fixed more matches than most footballers ever played. His life path is worth a Hollywood blockbuster, although he engaged as a decent actor only in those French movies and popular TV series after being banned from any serious business.Everything started with you, you made me fall in love with @OM_Officiel . Bernard Tapie The definition of a self-made man, with pride, courage and success. My sincere condolences to your family.Thank you for all the life lessons,Rest in Peace Boss #BernardTapie #OM pic.twitter.com/xPNi7JwXlB— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) October 3, 2021 And guess what? He thoroughly enjoyed his cameos – including, for example, the one when he acted as a police chief – just like his previous starring roles as a football magnate and highly successful entrepreneur. But it was anything but luxury for young Tapie, who was raised in a poor family in Paris. However, his unordinary charm launched him into the world of business, where he soon found his niche – acquiring bankrupt companies and reselling them later after recovery for much higher prices.That’s how he earned himself a fortune during the ’70s and ’80s, which opened him dozens of doors among those white collars in France at the time.#UPDATE Larger-than-life French business mogul Bernard Tapie, who died aged 78 this morning, was a tycoon, politician, actor and rogue, whose swashbuckling career spanned business, sports, politics and the arts, but also scandal and prison https://t.co/gOaxaW5IAP pic.twitter.com/H1R9OgfJGm— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 3, 2021 With his eyes firmly attached to sports, Tapie was also eager to make a statement in it, and the opportunity arose when he became the main sponsor of the then-best cycling team, winning two Tour de France titles in the mid-80s.It’s with deep sadness that we learned the death of Bernard TAPIE.It’s with a lot of gratitude and pride that we pay tribute to him on this day of Paris-Roubaix with the jerseys “LOOK 1985″ worn by the @TeamDelko 🔴🟡⚪️🔵With him, LOOK has become an iconic brand in cycling. pic.twitter.com/OeEQOPtbM6— LOOK Cycle (@lookcycle) October 3, 2021 But it was not enough for his everlasting hunger. Soon, he was invited to take over Olympique de Marseille, struggling to establish themselves as a more than French Ligue 1 relegation-zone side. So he bought the club in 1986 and led them to unprecedented heights, winning five domestic titles in a row and the Champions League title – as a crown of his OM ambitions – in 1993. Tapie and OM players with the UCL trophy (©Reuters)This movie, however, didn’t have a happy end, as he was first accused and subsequently found guilty for match-fixing. Despite a presumable possibility of his illegal activities that lasted for years, he was charged ”only” for that one game – a league tie versus a modest Valenciennes weeks before the UCL final. Tapie gave them substantial money to take it easy against his team, so OM could concentrate on the upcoming finals.Soon after the glorious victory against mighty AC Milan, some of Valenciennes’ players went public with tons of evidence, which sealed Tapie’s destiny as a football hotshot. Moreover, OM was stripped of his domestic accolades and relegated, never returning to previous heights and achievements.Tapie leaving the court in 1993 (©Pascal Rossignol-Reuters)After spending two years in prison, Tapie could no longer engage in the world of serious business, likewise politics, where he was a significant figure, acting as a minister of city affairs from 1989 until 1993. Forced to give up on his two most considerable sympathies – sports and politics – this chameleon turned to pure showbusiness. France witnessed the rising of a new acting star, a flamboyant, jovial self-thought actor who was rehearsing for decades while sealing the numerous deals before doing the actual acting. ##NAJAVA_MECA_5865417##The fact that he provided Marseille with a short but unforgettable glory followed by havoc made Tapie a much-loving hero in most OM fans’ eyes. Add his acting popularity to it, and you have a portrait of a man with millions of flaws and sins that enjoys respect much more prominent than most of descent ordinary people. RIP Bernard TapieOne of the pioneers who changed football forever in the 1990s. Not without controversy, but that Marseille side he funded in the late 80s, early 90s really was special pic.twitter.com/wc3dfmt7N3— 80s&90sfootball (@80s90sfootball) October 3, 2021 That’s why even his death, a consequence of severe stomach cancer, won’t result in a consensus- the ones who hate him and call him conmen have all the right to think like that. As much as those who consider him a magician, a multitalented man who used shortcuts to fulfil his and others dreams.The dreams, no matter how illusional they indeed were. And Tapie’s were fixed long ago. Too bad he couldn’t fix this very last game of his. By: Bojan Babic
