Former footballer Jean-Pierre Adams dies following 39-year coma

Jean-Pierre Adams: a beingness successful pictures – Jean-Pierre Adams is simply a erstwhile France planetary who has spent the past 36 years successful a coma.

Happier Times – He went into the coma connected March 17, 1982 aft a regular cognition went wrong.

Papal Blessing – Hidden successful the darkness, Jean-Pierre meets Pope Pius XII soon aft being taken to Europe by his grandma from Senegal. The representation is from a scrapbook that Bernadette inactive holds.

The Adams Family – Jean-Pierre and Bernadette observe the commencement of lad Laurent successful 1969. Their eldest son, who present lives successful Corsica, was 11 erstwhile his father's mishap occurred.

Seventies Style – Jean-Pierre and lad Laurent successful happier times. One of Bernadette's regrets is the lack of a begetter fig during her sons' upbringing and her inability to ticker their sporting progress. "The mishap surely changed their lives. I didn't ever travel Laurent's football, since I couldn't travel. He would spell with the neighbors. The youngest did judo and from clip to time, I went to ticker him vie -- whenever I could -- but it wasn't often."

Guardian Angel – Bernadette has looked aft her hubby for the past 34 years. "It's hard due to the fact that it's existent that I americium nary longer young," she says. "He'll dice without being looked after. If I don't bash it, who will?"

Defence and Attack – Jean-Pierre was calved successful Senegal but moved to France astatine the property of 10. Between gathering and marrying Bernadette, helium had to acquisition his subject work -- which included dealing with the events of May 1968, erstwhile France was gripped by civilian unrest.

'Garde Noire' – Marius Trésor (left) and Adams (right) formed a antiaircraft portion known arsenic the "Garde Noire" oregon "Black Guard." It was the archetypal clip France had ever had 2 achromatic players successful the halfway of defense.

High Praise – Trésor (bottom left) and Adams (bottom right) were much than conscionable a fancy moniker. "Adams and Trésor person formed 1 of the champion center-back pairings successful each of Europe," said Germany's 1974 World Cup-winning skipper Franz Beckenbauer.

Blues Brothers – Adams (back row, 2nd from right) played successful a France broadside that was "in construction," according to team-mate Henri Michel. The lone large contention "Les Bleus" contested successful the 1970s was the World Cup successful 1978, though by past Adams' France vocation was over. He made his debut successful 1972 and finished successful 1976.

'A precise bittersweet case' – Michel played alongside Adams successful some the French service and the country's afloat nationalist team. He remembers Adams arsenic a "formidable team-mate" but worries if capable is being done to assistance his family. "A small spot similar everything these days, erstwhile truthful overmuch is going on, I'm not definite he's successful that galore people's minds. Perhaps much could beryllium done for him. It's a precise bittersweet case. What his woman has done seems unthinkable. Incredible."

Rapid Rise – Adams leaped consecutive from the amateur divisions to the French apical flight, wherever helium played for Nîmes (1970-3: above), Nice (1973-7) and Paris Saint-Germain (1977-9).

Nice Touch – Nice fans show a banner speechmaking "J-P Adams: One of Us" connected 28 April 2007, up of their erstwhile player's sons -- Laurent and Frédéric -- symbolically kicking disconnected a lucifer against Auxerre successful tribute to their father.

Football Family – Laurent (left) and Frédéric clasp a garment bearing their father's sanction up of the Auxerre match. "This benignant of motion reminds america that members of the shot household person not forgotten our begetter and each helium did for the clubs helium played for," Laurent told reporters connected the day.

Charity Match – A programme showing a lucifer organized by Adams' erstwhile nine Nîmes successful assistance of the footballer successful 1984, 2 years aft his accident.

Adams & Adams – Jacques Vendroux, the wide manager of the Variety Club of France (pictured present giving instructions to erstwhile France legends Laurent Blanc and Jean Fernandez), compares Adams to his namesake Tony, of Arsenal and England fame. "He was precise beardown successful the air, precise diversion and was a benignant of sweeper. He was similar that legendary Arsenal defender, who cleaned up everything and made the transportation escaped for others."

Trésor'ing the memory – Trésor, who present mostly works for Bordeaux's TV channel, is keen to sphere the representation helium has of his erstwhile team-mate and bully friend. "Marius inactive regularly visits Jean-Pierre's home," said Vendroux. "He knows helium is successful his country but helium does not spell successful to spot him."

Nice Try – Pictured with erstwhile Dutch planetary Dick van Dijk, Adams enjoyed his clip astatine Nice, helping the broadside decorativeness 2nd successful the French title successful 1976. It was the closest Nice had travel to winning the rubric since the club's past triumph successful 1959.

Team Bond – Trésor and Michel Platini, the UEFA President presently suspended by FIFA amidst an ongoing corruption inquiry, were instrumental successful helping put matches connected behalf of Bernadette, says Vendroux. "The Variety Club (VCF) has played respective matches connected behalf of Jean-Pierre, supra each connected the inaugural of Platini and Trésor. This is due to the fact that Jean-Pierre, towards the extremity of his career, played respective matches for the VCF truthful the slightest we could bash was bring unneurotic each the large internationals from the 1980s to play a lucifer for him."

Legendary Moments – At different tribute crippled for their begetter galore years earlier, Laurent and Frédéric are pictured alongside Jean-Pierre's erstwhile France colleagues Trésor and 1984 European Championship leader Alain Giresse.

Rugby Football – France rugby large Serge Blanco, who starred successful the 1980s, was different to crook retired for 1 of Adams' foundation matches.

Home Help – There are nary pictures of Jean-Pierre contiguous arsenic Bernadette is keen to sphere the representation of her hubby from his heyday. For the past 3 decades, helium has seldom near his household location successful Caissargues, conscionable extracurricular Nîmes successful confederate France.

Future Conditional – Bernadette continues to sphere some Jean-Pierre's bequest and dignity, portion hoping helium awakes from his 34-year-long coma.