LILLE, France (AP) — Bruno Metsu, a Frenchman who led Senegal to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals and coached several other teams, has died. He was 59.
French soccer club Lille announced Metsu’s death on its website, without giving a cause. But other media reports said Metsu died early Tuesday following a long battle with cancer.
Metsu played for Lille from 1979-81 and coached the club in the 1992-93 season.
Metsu’s most memorable coaching achievement came at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan when his Senegal team beat defending champion France 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history. The team later beat Sweden to reach the quarterfinals but then lost to Turkey.
