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Mr Tapie was a well-known figure in France<\/strong>, whose long and varied career saw him dabble as a pop singer, actor and politician, serving as a minister under the late French president Francois Mitterrand.<\/p>\n His flamboyant lifestyle was well-documented by French media, and he reached the peak of his popularity during the 1980s and ’90s.<\/p>\n While president of Olympique de Marseille (OM), the club won five league titles and beat AC Milan 1-0 in the final of the Champions League in 1993.<\/p>\n However, OM were later stripped of the title after Valenciennes players were paid to throw a game, with cash buried in the garden of one of the team.<\/p>\n Marseille were relegated to the second division and Mr Tapie was convicted of rigging the match and served more than five months in jail, and was later declared bankrupt.<\/p>\n However, this did little to tarnish his image in the eyes of passionate fans, who continued to adore him.<\/p>\n The club said in a statement: “Olympique de Marseille learned with deep sadness of the passing of Bernard Tapie. He will leave a big void in the hearts of Marseille fans and will remain a club legend.”<\/p>\n Born in 1943, the son of a plumber, Mr Tapie made his fortune by buying out struggling companies and went on to become one of France’s richest men.<\/p>\n He bought the German sports retailer Adidas in 1990, which was to ultimately prove his downfall.<\/p>\n He sold his majority stake in the firm through French bank Credit Lyonnais in 1992.<\/p>\n However, he claimed the deal was mismanaged and began a 20-year legal battle with the bank in an attempt to claim damages.<\/p>\n In 2017, an appeal court ordered him to repay €404m (£346m) that he was awarded in 2008 for the disputed sale of the company.<\/p>\n Mr Tapie, who later returned to business as a newspaper owner, also set up the La Vie Claire cycling team, which won the Tour de France twice.<\/p>\n “When you’ve won the Tour de France, the Champions League, you’ve been minister, singer, actor… what have I not done? I can’t say I haven’t been spoiled rotten by life,” he told Le Monde in an interview in 2017.<\/p>\n He is survived by his wife Dominique Tapie and their two children.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/e3.365dm.com\/21\/10\/768x432\/skynews-bernard-tapie-court_5533447.jpg\")
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