LIGUE ONE side Stade de Remis are in shock tonight after club doctor Bernard Gonzalez tragically committed suicide after contracting coronavirus.
According to reliable reports in Le Parisien, the 60-year took his own life at home on Sunday afternoon, linking his death with Covid-19.
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Club doctor Bernard Gonzalez tragically committed suicide after contracting coronavirusCredit: Reims
It is understood he was in quarantine with his wife – who also had the virus – when the devastating incident occurred.
He is believed to have written a suicide note, explaining the reasons he killed himself.
Gonzalez’s death has said to have caused heartbreak throughout the city in northern France, according to its mayor Arnaud Robinet.
He added: “He was the club doctor. A great professional, recognised and appreciated by all.
“I have a touched thought for his parents, for his wife, his family.
“He is a collateral victim of Covid-19, because it had been detected positive and was inside for a fortnight.
“I know he left a note to explain his gesture, but I ignore its content. He was a committed man.”
Gonzalez worked for Stade de Reims for more than 23-years, and was a club legend to both fans and staff.
Jean-Pierre Caillot, President of Stade de Reims, added: “Words fail me, I am stunned by this news.
“This pandemic affects the Stade de Reims in its heart. He was a personality of Reims and a great professional of the sport.
“He was with the club for more than 20 years and carried out his job with the utmost professionalism, in a passionate and even selfless manner.
“Doctor Gonzalez, in the harshest periods of the club, worked on a voluntary basis. He is a precise doctor in his missions and an artist by his passions.
“Of course, there was friction between us, friendly friction, like any club between the sportsman and the medical staff.
“He is my personal doctor, and today all my thoughts, those of the club, of which he will remain a strong figure, go to his wife and parents.
“Today it is a drama that strikes us. “
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Ligue One clubs and sides from across Europe rallied around Reims to pay tribute to Gonzalez after news of his death broke tonight.
Marseille said: “Our sincere condolences to the family of Doctor Gonzalez, his relatives and to @StadeDeReims”
AJ Ajaccio added: “We offer you our deepest condolences at this time of terrible pain.
“To you Stadists, to the family of Doctor Gonzalez as well as to all those affected by this drama. Wholeheartedly with you”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
