Jean-Pierre Adams

1967/70 Fontainebleau (FRA)

1970/73 Nîmes Olympique (FRA) 98 matches, 10 goals

(French Championship: 84 matches, 8 goals)

(French Cup: 10 matches)

(UEFA Cup: 4 matches, 2 goals)

1973/77 OGC Nice (FRA) 144 matches, 17 goals

(French Championship: 126 matches, 15 goals)

(French Cup: 13 matches, 2 goals)

(UEFA Cup: 5 matches)

1977/79 Paris SG (FRA) 43 matches, 2 goals

(French Championship: 41 matches, 1 goal)

(French Cup: 2 matches, 1 goal)

1979/80 FC Mulhouse (FRA) 11 matches, 1 goal

1980/81 FC Chalon (FRA) 23 matches, 1 goal

With the National Team :

22 selections

(Friendly matches: 14 selections)

(World Cup qualifiers: 3 selections)

(Euro qualifiers: 5 selections)

1st selection: June 15, 1972 against Africa (2-0)

Last selection: September 1, 1976 against Denmark (1-1)

Jean-Pierre Adams

Born on March 10, 1948 in Dakar (AOF)

Died on Monday, September 6, 2021 in Nîmes (FRA)

French, Central defender, 1m78

Jean-Pierre Adams was born in Dakar, Senegal, and was raised by his grandmother. She decided to enroll him in a religious school in Montargis, France. Alone in France, adoptive parents took him out of public assistance and enrolled him in a football club. Once he finished his studies, he worked for a rubber products manufacturer while continuing to play in small local clubs without ever staying there too long.

The step that brought him closer to the professional world was his signing with the Entente Fontainebleau club, where he established himself as a striker! With this club, he finished double champion of the French amateur championship.

At the beginning of 1970, he was spotted by Kader Firoud, a former legend of Nîmes Olympiques for whom he played more than 200 matches and a former French international. He therefore signed with Nîmes Olympiques where he experienced a crazy rise.

Standing 1m78 tall, strong and athletic, he first played in midfield, before becoming a defensive midfielder and then a central defender for Nîmes. Highly feared for his aggressive and determined play, he quickly established himself as one of the best players in the French championship.

In 1972, the Crocodiles of Nîmes found themselves vice-champion of France, he won the Coupe de France and joined the French team. On June 15, 1972, he played his first match with France against Africa (2-0), a special African selection. That day, he was a substitute and took Marius Trésor's place during the match.

With Marius Trésor, he formed a legendary duo of the French team, the famous "Black Guard", unfortunately for him, the French team was not yet a great nation and he would not play any major competition with his country. In total, he played 22 matches for France between 1972 and 1976.

In his club career, he failed in 1973 in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. Jean-Pierre, who seemed destined for a great future, left for the sexy Nice of the 1970s, which was then experiencing one of the most prosperous periods in its history: with Josip Katalinski, he effectively protected Dominique Baratelli while up front Nambatingue Toko scored. However, OGC Nice finished runner-up in France behind Saint-Etienne. This season of the French championship was marked by numerous refereeing errors that prevented the Niçois from being champions.

After three years at OGC Nice, Jean-Pierre Adams joined a rising club, PSG. The capital club was struggling to become a major French club, which annoyed the French international a little. As a result, he stayed there for two seasons before joining Mulhouse, at the age of 32. After a single season, and injuries, he left the professional world to join the modest team of FC Châlon, then in the 3rd division. Unfortunately for him, his career would come to a tragic end.

After one season, the difficulties began to arise, during a training to become a youth team coach, the young retiree suffered a ruptured tendon. To treat this, a minor operation was necessary. His last words were: "Everything is fine, I'm in great shape. I'm going to be operated on at 11am. Think of me anyway, but come and get me in eight days, and don't forget a pair of crutches!".

On March 17, 1982, he entered the operating room, and everything changed. He underwent anesthesia, then nothing, the player did not wake up and fell into a coma. Affected by a staff strike, the Edouard-Herriot hospital in Lyon was understaffed. The anesthesiologist alone that day took care of eight patients, three of whom had to be put to sleep at almost the same time. A trainee assistant made a series of blunders.

Jean-Pierre Adams was poorly intubated, the device blocked the passage to his lungs, which deprived the 34-year-old man of oxygen and triggered cardiac arrest. Subsequently, the anesthesiologist and his assistant were sentenced to a one-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 5,000 francs, or 750 euros at the time.

The former football player remained bedridden, unconscious, until 2021, when on September 6, he died in his wife's arms at the age of 73, after 39 years in a vegetative coma. Since the accident, his wife has stayed at his bedside every day, she will say: "I try not to think about the accident every day, but I have no choice. Every time I look at it, it is present in my head."

Thus, her daily life revolved around that of her husband who was breathing, coughing, alternating between phases of sleep and phases of wakefulness with his eyes wide open but unable to communicate verbally with anyone. "People on Facebook tell me to unplug him... but he's not even plugged in! I won't stop giving him food and water," she defended a few months before her death.

Jean-Pierre Adams had a life marked by his incredible talent as a football player and by this tragic medical error. His wife, who stayed by his side until his last breath, left her mark on the story of the former French international with her love.

Homepage