By Priscilla Goulet
– Modified 20 Nov 2023 at 21:47
This Monday, November 20, in the new issue of TPMP, Gilles Verdez returned to a disaster which attracted a lot of attention and where he was present. He shared the after-effects he left behind. We tell you more.
This Monday, November 20, 2023, Cyril Hanouna shared with his columnists his apprehensions related to his visits to the dentist, expressing: “You go out, and your whole head feels tired!” “. He then questioned Gilles Verdez, whom he likes to tease, about his dental habits. Fatou’s spouse then revealed to his colleagues that because of his “accident in Furiani”, he was unable to “open his mouth.”
“It was a frightening scene. I found myself propelled”
Indeed, this tragedy resulted in the loss of 19 lives and left more than 2,000 people injured. It remains one of the most significant tragedies in recent French football, to the point that a law dating from 2021 stipulates that no professional match must be played on May 5 in commemoration of this disaster. In 2021, on the TPMP set, Gilles Verdez spoke of this painful event, recalling that he was present during this match and that he had been rescued by the late Bernard Tapie, then president of Olympique de Marseille.
“It was a frightening scene. I found myself propelled. I walked towards the Marseille locker room. There, I came across Bernard Tapie. He picked up people on the ground, dying, seriously injured, and put them in ambulances. That day he became my hero.“, said Gilles Verdez. According to Gilles Verdez and Jacques Vendroux, Bernard Tapie “never sought” to recount or take glory from his heroic act during this tragic incident. This demonstrates exemplary and dignified behavior in the face of this dramatic disaster and its serious consequences.