Former Algerian international Montpellier Faouzi Mansouri, trained in Nîmes, died at the age of 66 following a long illness, the Hérault club announced on Wednesday May 18. This former defender or midfielder, played in Nîmes from 1974 to 1980 and also played in Béziers and Mulhouse. He played 61 games with the Montpellier team, during three seasons, first between 1981 and 1983 for the first appearance in the elite of the Pailladin club followed by an immediate descent, then in 1985-86 in the second division, when he ended his career. Mansouri, born in Tunisia, appeared twice in the World Cup with Algeria, in 1982 in Spain and 1986 in Mexico. This duty player started alongside Mustapha Dahleb, Rabah Madjer, Salah Assad or Lakhdar Belloumi during the historic victory (2-1) against West Germany on June 16, 1982 in Gijon. Despite the first victory of an African nation against a European rival, the Fennecs did not qualify for the second round of the Spanish World Cup, due to the “understanding” between the Germans and the Austrians, described as a “match of shame” (1-0 victory for Germany, which qualified both teams). After his sports career, Faouzi Mansouri joined the Nicollin group, named after the former president of the Hérault club, Louis Nicollin, who died in 2017. It is now his son Laurent who runs the club.