Tapie, whose business interests also included a stake in sportswear company Adidas, had been suffering from stomach cancer for several years.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to Tapie's family in a statement, saying he and his wife "have been touched by the news of the death of Bernard Tapie, whose ambition, energy and enthusiasm were a source of inspiration for generations of French people".

A charismatic president of Marseille from 1986 to 1994, he was at the helm when OM beat AC Milan 1-0 in the final of the Champions League. He was later sent to prison for corruption in a match-fixing scandal in the French first division.

"Olympique de Marseille learned with deep sadness of the passing of Bernard Tapie. He will leave a great void in the hearts of the Marseillais and will forever remain in the legend of the club," OM said in a statement.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Gilles GuillaumeEditing by Frances Kerry)