Former France defender Jean-Pierre Adams dies 39 years after falling into coma

He was administered a near fatal dose of anaesthetic before a routine knee operation

Jean-Pierre Adams with his former France team mate Marius Tresor. Photograph: Getty Images
Jean-Pierre Adams with his former France team mate Marius Tresor. Photograph: Getty Images

The former France defender Jean-Pierre Adams has died at the age of 73, almost 40 years after falling into a coma as a result of a medical error, his former clubs, Paris St-Germain and Nîmes, said on Monday.

In 1982, Adams was administered a near fatal dose of anaesthetic before a routine knee operation, which caused brain damage.

The Dakar-born Adams won 22 caps for Les Bleus in the 1970s, forming with Marius Tresor what was known as 'the Black Guard'. He played for Nîmes from 1970-73 and for PSG from 1977-79 after joining from Nice.

Since the accident, Adams has been cared for by his wife, Bernadette.

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As reported by the Blizzard and published by the Guardian, a knee problem suffered on a coaching course led Adams to have the operation. Bernadette said in 2007: “Jean-Pierre feels, smells, hears, jumps when a dog barks. But he cannot see.” - Guardian