An African-born footballer has passed away today after spending the past 39 years of his life in a coma following a botched surgery on his knee.
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L'Equipe has reported on Monday morning that Jean-Pierre Adams, who was born in Dakar, Senegal, in 1948, has died.
The publication has reported that the 73-year-old has been in a deep coma since 1982 after an anaesthesia error when he was just 34 years old.
During his playing days, Adams represented France's national team on 22 occasions, while he turned out for clubs such as Nice and Paris Saint-Germain at club level.
The former Les Bleus international was believed to pick up his injury while on a coaching course, damaging a tendon in his leg while there. Sadly, Adams' life would never be the same after attempting to have his issues resolved.
It is said that the ex-footballer was seen to by a trainee, who later admitted in court: "I was not up to the task I was entrusted with."
A story published by CNN last year said: "Jean-Pierre was badly intubated, with one tube blocking the pathway to his lungs rather than ventilating them, meaning he was starved of oxygen whereupon he suffered a cardiac arrest."
Click through the gallery below to see some footballers who were forced to retire early:
