Olympique Lyonnais’ sporting coordinator Daniel Congré (40) has broken his silence following reports that he had been hospitalised in critical condition earlier this week. In an interview published by L’Équipe on Wednesday, the former defender denied rumours of a suicide attempt, stating instead that he had been the victim of a domestic accident.
Concerns were raised late Monday night when actu.fr reported that a former Montpellier player had been discovered unconscious at his home in Pérols, suffering from a severe stab wound near the heart. The player was later identified as Congré, who retired in 2022 after over 500 professional appearances, most notably with Toulouse and Montpellier, and now works behind the scenes at Lyon.
Initial police investigations explored three possibilities: an accident, an assault, or a suicide attempt. On Tuesday, the Montpellier prosecutor’s office told Le Parisien that it was being treated as a suicide attempt. This fuelled a wave of speculation online and in the press, which Congré has now sought to firmly put to rest.
“Thank you to everyone for your warm messages over the past few days,” Congré told L’Équipe. “I want to reassure people and set the record straight in a firm and clear way. I was the victim of a domestic accident while I was with my family. It could have been more serious, but fortunately, it wasn’t.”
He added: “I never imagined this incident would take on such proportions—regarding my health, first, but also in the media. It will soon be nothing more than a distant, unpleasant memory for my loved ones and me.”
