Dugarry and Roy shared the dressing room at Marseille, forming a friendship that endured long after their playing careers ended. Their connection was reflected in Dugarry’s emotional tribute, which captured the personal grief behind the public mourning.
Roy’s playing career also took him to Nice, Lyon and Sunderland. At Lyon, where he played between 1993 and 1996, he was remembered as an elegant and popular midfielder. His playing days ended in 2004, but his influence in French football was only beginning to grow.
Roy’s most successful coaching chapter came at Brest, where he spent three seasons and guided the club from Ligue 1 into the Champions League. His work transformed the team’s standing and gave supporters an achievement that once appeared beyond reach.
He had also coached Nice and worked in several football roles, including scouting for Lens and a brief spell as sporting director at Watford. Yet Brest was where his reputation became firmly tied to ambition, organisation and belief.
Roy’s family revealed that he had been fighting pancreatic cancer privately for three and a half years. In a statement, they said: “É com imensa tristeza que anunciamos a morte de nosso pai e marido,” adding that he continued to live with remarkable strength, supported by his family, football and work.
The family also thanked Brest supporters for the affection and support shown to Roy. That bond between coach and club became especially powerful during his illness.
Brest’s next challenge will be to honour Roy’s legacy while navigating life without the manager who led its most extraordinary rise. The tributes will continue, but so too will the difficult work of deciding how his football vision should shape the club’s next chapter.