Fleury Di Nallo, OL’s Petit Prince of Gerland, dies aged 83 | OneFootball

Fleury Di Nallo, Olympique Lyonnais’ record scorer with 222 goals and forever the Petit Prince de Gerland, died on Wednesday aged 83, less than a year after Bernard Lacombe.

According to L'Équipe, he grew up in Gerland, signed from Rhône Sportif as a teenager and debuted on 20 August 1960 aged 17.

He relished derbies against Saint-Étienne and shone in the 1964 Cup Winners’ Cup semi, scoring late against Hamburg. With OL he lifted the Coupe de France in 1964, 1967 and 1973, and finished third in 1974.

Courted by Saint-Étienne in 1967 and Strasbourg in 1972, he stayed, playing 489 games for OL. He liked to say he scored without penalties or free-kicks, and only once from outside the area.

A broken leg by Red Star defender Carlos Monin in 1968 halted his rise with France. He scored eight in 10 caps, then left for Red Star in 1974 and helped launch Montpellier with Louis Nicollin.

He later ran a sports shop, was convicted of bank card fraud and served more than six months in Saint-Joseph prison. He won 100,000 francs on Sacrée Soirée, became OL sporting director in 1978, and spotted Jean Tigana.

He returned to Gerland in 2003, resumed morning coffees with Lacombe, and once collapsed in his office, later crediting his friend with saving his life. Lacombe, the French league’s record scorer with 255 goals, had been his closest confidant. Di Nallo said his Lyon record would endure.

Source: L'Équipe