2025 in association football deaths

Main page: 2025 in association football

For the complete list of deaths in 2025, see Deaths in 2025.

This is a list of association football related deaths in 2025:

January

Main page: Deaths in January 2025

• January 1:
  • Noh Haeng-seok (36), footballer (Gwangju FC, Daegu FC, Busan IPark).
  • Jean-Louis Lalanne (70), footballer (UA Cognac, Girondins de Bordeaux, Libourne).
  • Viktor Nastashevskyi (67), footballer (Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, SKA Kyiv, Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih) and assistant manager.
  • Igor Poznič (57), footballer (Maribor, Grazer AK, Mura, Slovenia).
• January 2:
  • Aldo Agroppi (80), footballer (Torino, Perugia, Italy) and manager (Pescara, Pisa, Perugia, Fiorentina, Como).
  • Werner Leimgruber (90), footballer (FC Zürich, Switzerland).
  • Cristóbal Ortega (68), footballer (Club América, Mexico).
• January 3:
  • Zlatko Dupovac (72), footballer (Radnik Hadžići, Sarajevo, Borac Banja Luka, St. Gallen, Wettingen).
  • Ernesto Gianella (83), footballer (OGC Nice, AS Béziers, Stade de Reims, AS Monaco, Nîmes, Pays d'Aix, Châteauroux).
  • Brian Usher (80), footballer (Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers).
  • Gilbert Van Binst (73), footballer (Anderlecht, Toulouse, Club Brugge, Belgium), assistant manager (Club Brugge), and manager.
• January 4:
  • Mathías Acuña (32), footballer (El Tanque Sisley, Fénix, Liverpool Montevideo, Montevideo Wanderers, AEL, Lamia, Boston River).
  • Franjo Džidić (85), footballer (Velež Mostar, Borac Čapljina), player-manager (Mladost Lištica), and manager (Borac Čapljina, Leotar, Velež Mostar, Šibenik, Široki Brijeg, Zrinjski Mostar).
  • Mohsen Habacha (82), footballer (ES Sahel, Ajaccio, Tunisia).
  • Oleksandr Humenyuk (48), footballer (Boryspil, CSKA Kyiv, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Chornomorets Odesa, Volyn Lutsk, Metalist Kharkiv), goalkeeping coach (Vorskla Poltava, Bukovyna Chernivtsi), and manager (Dynamo Kyiv Academy, Bukovyna Chernivtsi, Dinaz Vyshhorod).
  • Yılmaz Urul (82), footballer (İstanbulspor, Fenerbahçe, Mersin İdmanyurdu, Turkey).
  • Víctor Manuel Zapata (39), footballer (Deportivo Cali, Talleres de Perico, Deportivo Pasto, Águilas Doradas, Atlético Bucaramanga, Alianza Atlético).
• January 5:
  • Gerd Achterberg (84), footballer (Spandauer BC) and manager (Spandauer BC, BFC Südring, BFC Preussen, Tennis Borussia Berlin).
  • Bobby Matitahatiwen (65), futsal player (Netherlands).
  • Juan Manuel Villa (86), footballer (Plus Ultra, Real Sociedad, Real Zaragoza, Spain).
  • Freddy Zix (89), footballer (Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Mutzig, France). Played at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
• January 6:
  • Dušan Maravić (85), footballer (Spartak Subotica, Red Star Belgrade, Racing Paris, Deportivo Italia, Yugoslavia). Gold medalist at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
• January 7:
  • Jesús María Arambarri (76), footballer (Real Sociedad, Deportivo Alavés).
• January 8:
  • Jorge Cáceres (77), footballer (San Martín de Tucumán, América de Cali, Atlético Bucaramanga, Deportivo Pereira, Colombia)
  • Fabio Cudicini (89), footballer (Udinese, AS Roma, Brescia Calcio, AC Milan). Son of former Italian footballer Guglielmo Cudicini and father of former Italian footballer Carlo Cudicini.
• January 9:
  • Marius Ciugarin (75), footballer (Steaua București, FC Brașov, Sportul Studențesc București, Progresul București, Dordrecht, Makedonikos).
  • Alberto Onofre (77), footballer (Guadalajara, Mexico)
  • Franz-Josef Pauly (75), footballer (1860 Munich, Hannover 96, Fortuna Köln).
• January 10:
  • Nelson Silva Pacheco (80), footballer (Danubio, Liverpool, Sportivo Italiano, Tigre, Rosario Central, Atlético Nacional, Deportes Quindío, Cúcuta Deportivo, Atlético Junior, Deportivo Táchira, América de Cali, Colombia) and manager (Deportivo Táchira, Deportes Tolima).
  • Anatoli Pata (66), footballer (Mashuk Pyatigorsk, Rotor Volgograd, Dynamo Stavropol, Kuban Krasnodar, Dynamo Izobilny), assistant manager (Dynamo Stavropol), manager (Dynamo Stavropol), and scout (Dynamo Stavropol).
• January 11:
  • Bobby Kennedy (87), footballer (Kilmarnock, Manchester City, Grimsby Town) and manager (Grimsby Town, Bradford City).
  • Tiny Ruys (67), footballer (NEC, Fortuna Sittard) and manager (United Arab Emirates, Al Ain, Fortuna Sittard, MVV, SV Meerssen, EVV Echt).
• January 13:
  • Chris Barnard (77), footballer (Southend United, Ipswich Town, Torquay United, Charlton Athletic).
  • Tony Book (90), footballer (Bath City, Plymouth Argyle, Manchester City) and manager (Manchester City).
  • Keith Griffith (77), footballer (Barbados), manager (Barbados, Joe Public, US Virgin Islands), and technical director (Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands).
  • Rudolf Grosser (80), footballer (Bayern Munich, BSC Young Boys, Bayern Munich Amateure).
  • Mykhaylo Stelmakh (58), footballer (Dynamo Irpin, Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Karpaty Lviv, Vorskla Poltava, CSKA Kyiv), assistant manager (Arsenal Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Skala Stryi 1911), and manager (Kharkiv, Dinaz Vyshhorod).
  • Vicente Vega (69), footballer (Deportivo Táchira, Portuguesa, Deportivo Italia, Venezuela).
• January 14:
  • Pat Goggin (84), footballer (Cork Hibernians, Tramore Athletic).
• January 15:
  • Alex Brash (69), footballer (Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, Brechin City).
  • Aldo Dorigo (90), footballer (Triestina, Inter Milan, Alessandria).
  • Günter Klomhuß (65), footballer (1. FC Magdeburg, Chemie Böhlen, Motor Babelsberg).
• January 16:
  • Vasile Ardeleanu (50), footballer (FCM Bacău, CSM Focșani, FC Onești).
  • Uwe Beginski (59), footballer (Hamburger SV, SV Darmstadt 98, VfL Osnabrück, KSV Hessen Kassel, Hamburger SV Amateure).
  • Harry Bild (88), footballer (IFK Norrköping, FC Zürich, Feyenoord, Östers IF, Sweden).
  • Sabah Bizi (78), footballer (Vllaznia, Partizani, Albania) and manager (Veleçiku, Vllaznia).
  • Domingo González (91), footballer (Las Palmas).
• January 17:
  • Denis Law (84), footballer (Huddersfield Town, Manchester City, Torino, Manchester United, Scotland). 1964 Ballon d'Or winner.
  • Kenny Wilson (78), footballer (St Johnstone, Dumbarton, Carlisle United, York City, Hamilton Academical).
• January 18:
  • Garry Brooke (64), footballer (Tottenham Hotspur, GAIS, Norwich City, Groningen, Wimbledon, Brentford).
  • Benny Guagliardi (87), footballer (Rio Preto, Corinthians, Ferroviária, Independiente, Boca Juniors, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata).
  • Nicolae Oaidă (91), footballer (Dinamo Brașov, Dinamo Bacău, Progresul București, Romania) and mannager (Libya, Al-Ahly Benghazi, Mureșul Deva, Progresul București, Tractorul Brașov, Jiul Petroșani, Autobuzul București, Hassania Agadir, Homenetmen Beirut).
• January 19:
  • Jimmy Calderwood (69), footballer (Birmingham City, Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II, Roda JC, Heracles Almelo) and manager (Willem II, NEC Nijmegen, Dunfermline Athletic, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Ross County, Go Ahead Eagles, De Graafschap).
  • Joaquín Ramos Marcos (78), referee (La Liga, UEFA) and commentator.
• January 20:
  • Mimi El-Sherbini (86), footballer (Al Ahly, United Arab Republic) and manager (Al-Nasr Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Played at the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics.
• January 21:
  • Abdul Salam Al-Mukhaini (36), footballer (Al-Orouba, Al-Raed, Dhofar Club, Oman).
  • Robert Choe (85), footballer (Malacca FA, Malaya/Malaysia).
• January 22:
  • Juan Antonio Román (82), footballer (Granada, Sevilla, Real Valladolid) and manager (San Fernando, Poli Almería, Linense, Almería).
  • Kimmo Tauriainen (52), footballer (RoPS, Kontu, Atlantis, IK Start).
• January 23:
  • Eduardo de la Barra (65), footballer (Ñublense, Deportes Temuco, Avaí, Deportes Concepción, Naval), assistant manager (Naval), and manager (Deportes Concepción, Naval, Everton, Ñublense, Universidad de Concepción youth, Universidad de Concepción Femenino).
  • Anthony Basso (45), footballer (Udinese, Viking, Heart of Midlothian).
  • Andreas Stamatiadis (89), footballer (AEK Athens, Greece), assistant manager (AEK Athens), and manager (Rodos, Lamia, Anagennisi Karditsa, AEK Athens, Atromitos, Egaleo, Acharnaikos, Greece U21).
• January 24:
  • Lakhdar Bouyahi (79), footballer (NA Hussein Dey, Algeria).
  • Imke de Jong (92), footballer (SC Heerenveen).
  • Mimis Domazos (83), footballer (Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, Greece).
  • David Gaskell (84), footballer (Manchester United, Wigan Athletic, Wrexham).
  • Ellert Schram (85), footballer (KR, Iceland), manager (KR), and politician. President of the KSÍ (1973–1989) and the ÍSÍ (1991–2006).
  • Eddy Wauters (91), footballer (Royal Antwerp, Belgium) and manager (Royal Antwerp).
• January 25:
  • Hugo Hernán Iter (75), footballer (Deportes Ovalle, Deportes La Serena).
• January 26:
  • Moses Effiong (65), footballer (Sharks FC, Shooting Stars, Nigeria national football team). Played at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
• January 27:
  • Chris Antonopoulos (56), soccer player (FIU Panthers, California Kickers, Fort Lauderdale Strikers), beach soccer player (Florida Beach Soccer FC, United States), and beach soccer manager (Florida Beach Soccer FC).
  • Guy Delhasse (91), footballer (RFC Liège, Beringen, Belgium).
  • Werner Fritschi (91), footballer (1. FC Kaiserslautern, SSV Reutlingen 05).
• January 28:
  • Leroy DeLeon (76), footballer (New York Generals, Washington Darts, Miami Gatos, Washington Diplomats, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Trinidad and Tobago) and indoor soccer player (Washington Darts, Washington Diplomats, Phoenix Inferno).
  • Eberhard Franz (89), footballer (BSG Motor Zwickau). Brother of former East German international footballer Reinhard Franz.
  • Imre Kocsis (89), footballer (Szolnoki MÁV, Santa Fe), coach (Atlético Nacional youth), and assistant manager (Once Caldas).
• January 29:
  • Denis Devaux (86), footballer (RC Besançon, Strasbourg, Stade de Reims, AC Ajaccio, UES Montmorillon, France) and manager (UES Montmorillon, Stade Poitevin PEPP).
  • Dinu Gheorghe (68), club president (Rapid București, FC Brașov, Astra Giurgiu, Dinamo București, ASA Târgu Mureș).
  • Barry Hartle (85), footballer (Watford, Sheffield United, Carlisle United, Stockport County, Oldham Athletic, Macclesfield Town).
  • Gianfranco de Taddeo (96), footballer (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Young Boys, FC Basel, Neuchâtel Xamax, Old Boys, Young Fellows Zürich).
• January 31:
  • Rudi Balsam (89), footballer (Holstein Kiel).
  • Derek McLean (92), footballer (Middlesbrough, Hartlepool United).

February

Main page: Deaths in February 2025

• February 1:
  • Raúl Gómez Ramírez (74), footballer (Guadalajara, Mexico).
  • Mehdi Haj Mohamad (74), footballer (Tâj, Iran).
  • Ingo Hermanns (53), footballer (1. FC Magdeburg, Motor Schönebeck, Kickers Emden).
  • Alberto Leguelé (71), footballer (Bahia, Flamengo, CSA, Brazil Olympics). Played at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
• February 2:
  • Ogün Altıparmak (86), footballer (Karşıyaka, Fenerbahçe, Washington Whips, Turkey). Father of former Turkish footballer Batur Altıparmak.
  • Björgólfur Guðmundsson (84), businessman, chairman, and club owner (West Ham United). Father of Icelandic businessman and billionaire Björgólfur Thor.
  • Billy Pirie (75), footballer (Arbroath, Aberdeen, Dundee, Sydney Olympic).
  • Alan Shoulder (71), footballer (Bishop Auckland, Newcastle United, Carlisle United, Hartlepool United) and manager.
• February 3:
  • Lima (83), footballer (Juventus-SP, Santos, Jalisco, Fluminense, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Brazil).
• February 5:
  • Alfredo Letanú (72), footballer (Boca Juniors, Gimnasia y Esgrima, Unión Española, Estudiantes, Racing Club, San Lorenzo, Cartagena).
  • Rainer Schönwälder (84), footballer (1. FC Saarbrücken, Alemannia Aachen, Preußen Münster, Union Luxembourg, Roda JC).
• February 6:
  • Andrzej Marchel (60), footballer (Lechia Gdańsk).
  • Gordon Marshall (85), footballer (Heart of Midlothian, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Hibernian, Aberdeen, Arbroath). - [Death announced on this date]
  • Frans Schellens (88), footballer (Berchem Sport) and manager (KFC Nijlen, KSK Heist, Berchem Sport).
  • Ernie Walley (91), footballer (Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough) and manager (Crystal Palace, Barking, Bangor City).
  • Wim van den Dungen (80), footballer (PSV Eindhoven, KFC Diest).
• February 7:
  • Jean-Charles Canetti (79), footballer (Nîmes Olympique, Arles, Olympique Alès).
  • Mick Walker (84), footballer, manager (Singapore, Burton Albion, Notts County), and scout (Leeds United).
• February 9:
  • George Davies (97), footballer (Oswestry Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Chester City).
  • Amado Palacios (83), footballer (Club Necaxa, Cruz Azul, Club América, Zacatepec, Mexico).
  • Giorgio Pellizzaro (77), footballer (Mantova, Sampdoria, Catanzaro, Foggia, Brescia).
  • John Tudor (78), footballer (Coventry City, Sheffield United, Newcastle United, Stoke City, Gent).
• February 10:
  • Takis Ikonomopoulos (81), footballer (Apollon Smyrnis, Panathinaikos, Panachaiki, Greece), goalkeeping coach (Panathinaikos), and president of Panathinaikos AO (2017–2018).
  • David Socha (86), referee (NASL, FIFA). Refereed at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
• February 11:
  • Gerrit Niehaus (84), footballer (Go Ahead Eagles).
  • Paul Round (65), footballer (Blackburn Rovers, Bury, Altrincham, Chorley).
  • Uladzimir Vostrykaw (48), footballer (Dinamo Minsk, Chernomorets Novorossiysk, Belshina Bobruisk, Torpedo Minsk, Vitebsk, Lokomotiv Minsk), assistant manager (Zvezda-BGU Minsk), and manager (Energetik-BGU Minsk reserves).
• February 12:
  • Tony Bedeau (45), footballer (Torquay United, Walsall, Grenada).
  • Ali Gagarin (75), footballer (Al-Hilal, Al Nassr, Stade d'Abidjan, Sudan).
• February 13:
  • Ronnie Boyce (82), footballer (West Ham United), caretaker manager (West Ham United), coach (West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Millwall), and scout (West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur).
  • János Dunai (87), footballer (Pécsi Dózsa, Hungary) and manager (Pécsi MSC, Szegedi EAC, Pécsi Vasutas). Bronze medalist at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
  • Fethi Heper (81), footballer (Eskişehirspor, Turkey).
  • Roger Pohon (85), footballer (Nantes, France amateurs) and manager.
• February 14:
  • Avi Assouly (74), footballer (Racing Besançon), journalist, commentator, and politician.
  • Cees de Boer (83), footballer (VV De Zouaven, Alkmaar '54). Father of Dutch international footballers Frank and Ronald de Boer.
• February 15:
  • Louis Theobald (86), footballer (Hibernians, Malta).
• February 16:
  • Óscar Valdez (78), footballer (Almirante Brown, Atlético Platense, Valencia, Spain) and manager (Mestalla, Valencia, Paraguay).
• February 17:
  • Volker Roth (83), referee (Bundesliga, UEFA, FIFA).
• February 19:
  • Gholamhossein Farzami (79), footballer (Tâj, Iran) and manager.
  • Cammy Murray (80), footballer (St Mirren, Motherwell, Arbroath). Brother of Scottish footballer George Murray.
• February 20:
  • Erhard Hofeditz (71), footballer (KSV Baunatal, 1860 Munich, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Karlsruher SC, Kickers Offenbach).
  • Evan Williams (81), footballer (Third Lanark, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Celtic, Clyde) and manager (Ardeer Thistle).
• February 22:
  • Geoffrey Maxwell, manager (Waterhouse, Jamaica).
• February 25:
  • Bernard Brochand (86), politician, businessman, and president (Paris Saint-Germain). Formerly a member of the National Assembly (2001–2022), and the mayor of Cannes (2001–2014).
  • Bejo Sugiantoro (47), footballer (Persebaya Surabaya, PSPS Pekanbaru, Mitra Kukar, Persidafon Dafonsoro, Deltras Sidoarjo, Indonesia), assistant manager (Persebaya Surabaya), and manager (Persik Kediri, Persebaya Surabaya, Serpong City, Deltras).
• February 26:
  • Bjørn Ludvigsen (56), footballer (Harstad IL, Tromsdalen UIL, Tromsø IL) and manager (Medkila IL womens).
  • Hans Pirkner (78), footballer (Austria Klagenfurt, Admira Energie, Schalke 04, Alpine Donawitz, Austria Wien, First Vienna, Austria).
• February 27:
  • Javier Dorado (48), footballer (Real Madrid C, Real Madrid B, Real Madrid, Salamanca, Sporting Gijón, Rayo Vallecano, RCD Mallorca).
  • Marvin Wijks (40), footballer (HFC Haarlem, 1. FC Magdeburg, FC Emmen, Rijnsburgse Boys).
• February 28:
  • Luca Manolache (19), footballer (FCSB, Chindia Târgoviște).
  • Evert Teunissen (95), footballer and manager (De Graafschap, SC Heerenveen, Heracles Almelo, Fortuna SC, FC Den Haag, Netherlands futsal).

March

Main page: Deaths in March 2025

• March 1:
  • Nico Hidalgo (32), footballer (Motril, Granada B, Juventus, Cádiz, Racing Santander).
  • Tullio Lanese (78), referee (Serie A, UEFA, FIFA).
• March 2:
  • Dennis Bond (77), footballer (Watford, Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic).
  • Gérard Bourgoin (85), businessman, politician, and president (Auxerre, Ligue de Football Professionnel).

April

Main page: Deaths in April 2025

May

Main page: Deaths in May 2025

June

Main page: Deaths in June 2025

July

Main page: Deaths in July 2025

August

Main page: Deaths in August 2025

September

Main page: Deaths in September 2025

October

Main page: Deaths in October 2025

November

Main page: Deaths in November 2025

December

Main page: Deaths in December 2025