Former France and Paris Saint-Germain defender Jean-Pierre Adams has died aged 73 after spending 39 years in a coma.
Adams, who appeared 22 times for France, was left in a coma from the age of 34 after undergoing what should have been a routine knee operation.
But Adams never awoke from surgery, anaesthetic-related errors by hospital staff in Lyon led to his brain being starved of oxygen and causing him to slip into a coma.
Adams died at the Nimes University Hospital on Monday.
Nous avons appris ce matin la disparition de Jean-Pierre Adams.
Il avait porté les couleurs du Nîmes Olympique à 84 reprises et formait avec Marius Trésor la garde noire en Équipe de France.
Le Club présente ses plus sincères condoléances à ses proches et à sa famille.
— Nîmes Olympique (@nimesolympique)
Tributes have followed from his former clubs Nimes, Nice and PSG, as they all pay respects to a pioneer who paved the way for French-African footballers.
Nimes, who Adams made 84 appearances for, expressed their most sincere condolences to his loved ones and his family , and Nice promised a tribute before their next home game against Monaco on September 19.
PSG, too, released a statement echoing similar sentiments, adding that Adams joie de vivre, charisma and experience commanded respect .
The Senegal-born footballer returned home to Nimes the year after the botched operation and was cared for by his wife Bernadette up to his passing.
Le a perdu, ce lundi 6 septembre, l’un de ses glorieux anciens. Défenseur des Rouge et Bleu et de l’Équipe de France, Jean-Pierre Adams avait porté les couleurs parisiennes de 1977 à 1979.
Le Club présente ses condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside)
