Former Olympique de Marseille international defender François Bracci died Thursday at the age of 72, the Marseille club announced on its website. The third most capped player in OM history with 349 matches played, François Bracci also wore the France team jersey 18 times, notably participating in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
Under the Marseille jersey, he was French champion in 1972 and won the Coupe de France in 1976. Bracci also played for RC Strasbourg, Girondins de Bordeaux, FC Rouen and AS Béziers where he finished his playing career before becoming a coach. A native of Beinheim in Alsace, François Bracci died near Alès following a long illness, said the newspaper L’Equipe.