Farewell, Rolland Courbis
With the sad news that veteran coach Rolland Courbis has passed away, we look back at his lengthy spell in Ligue 1 McDonald's as both a player and manager.
Beginnings in Marseille, titles at Monaco
There are some figures in football who become emblematic for their longevity, some for their talent and some still for the strength of their personality. Over some forty years as a player and coach in France, Rolland Courbis, who has passed away at the age of 72, embodied all of that and more, playing a key role in the development of football in France whose impact can still be felt today, a decade on from his last role as manager.
Born in Marseille, Courbis got his start with Olympique de Marseille, joining the academy at age 13, but his path to the first team proved a difficult one and he made his exit played in just five matches. Initially a midfielder, he became known as a hard-nosed defender, and with a lack of opportunity in Marseille, he moved to Corsican club AC Ajaccio (a side he would later manage), and became a regular, playing more than two dozen times. Ajaccio having finished bottom, he sought greener pastures abroad.
From there, he played sparingly in a lone season in Greece before returning to France with Sochaux, where his star rose meteorically, becoming a first-team regular and even being called-up for France (albeit without being capped). A move to Monaco in 1977 would follow, and Courbis would remain there for two league titles and a Coupe de France win, playing alongside such club legends as Jean-Luc Ettori, Jean Petit and Dellio Onnis. A move down to the second division with Toulon came in 1982, and Courbis was instrumental in helping win immediate promotion by being part of a defence which conceded just 17 times.
Rest in peace Rolland Courbis 🖤 pic.twitter.com/NfG0wc1lVc
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 12, 2026
From the pitch to the bench
Following his retirement, he took charge of Toulon in 1986, and after some initial bumps, he led the club to a historic best fifth place in 1987-88, leading a side featuring a young David Ginola. Despite departing in his fourth season, he returned to the professional ranks in 1992 with Bordeaux, where he helped a certain Zinedine Zidane's rise, and also oversaw a defence which helped Gaëtan Huard go nearly 1200 minutes without conceding. However, his volcanic style clashed with club president Alain Afflelou and he would then join Bordeaux's bitter rivals Toulouse.
His spell there -- in the second division -- also ended prematurely, and there was some thinking that Courbis' career as a manager might be coming to an end, but the departure of Afflelou allowed him to return to Bordeaux. Despite the departures of Zidane, Christophe Dugarry and Bixente Lizarazu, Courbis' side finished fourth and played spectacular attacking football, catching the eye of his childhood club, Marseille.
A squad overhaul in the summer was expected to allow the club to compete for the league title, and they did, but ultimately fell away to finish fourth. The following season brought more competitiveness, but ultimately it fell short in each instance as the club -- celebrating its centenary -- reached the final of the UEFA Cup and also lost the league by one point to Courbis' former side, Bordeaux.
A journeyman to the end
With results having turned against him, Courbis was gone by November of the following season, and after a short spell at Lens marked by no shortage of enmity, he was back with Ajaccio, the club with whom he had first experienced consistent success as a player. Back on Corsica, his gift for needs-must football shone once more, as he won an unlikely promotion before keeping the team in the top flight in the following season.
After an unhappy spell abroad, he was back with Ajaccio in 2004, orchestrating a turnaround to keep the team in the top flight before being let go in January 2006. Back on the bench the following year, he helped Montpellier win promotion before being dismissed owing to his involvement in an embezzlement scheme while with Marseille.
Following another spell abroad -- crossing Switzerland, Algeria and Niger -- he returned to Ligue 1 in 2013, again at the helm of Montpellier. Still adjusting to life after winning the title, Courbis helped develop several young players including Rémy Cabella and Morgan Sanson while keeping the team in the division. A push for European football the following season impressed but after a stormy start to the 2015/16 campaign, Courbis departed in December.
His final role was to take the reins on Stade Rennais, where he also fell just short of reaching Europe, but allowed the team to distinguish themselves through the play of several youngsters, one of whom was future Ballon d'Or winne Ousmane Dembélé. Life after the touchline saw him become a popular pundit on RMC, and reactions to his passing have been pouring in from across the world of French football.
We'll leave the last word to Marseille, the club of his heart, who honored him thus: "(Courbis was) A man of character, conviction, and practical experience, he has always championed a vibrant, dynamic style of football driven by collective commitment. His deep understanding of the locker room environment and his ability to unite and inspire has left its mark on generations of players."
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