Manchester City fullback Benjamin Mendy has paid tribute to Pape Diouf after he passed away yesterday.

The former Olympique Marseille president lost his life reportedly to the coronavirus while in Dakar, Senegal. He was 68.

Mendy, who left OM for City, posted to social media: "A lot of sadness when learning of the death of Pape Diouf ... A great president but above all a huge man, who will always have worthily represented OM and its values. A great loss for French football and the African continent. Rest in peace."

Known for his big personality, Diouf became the first black president of a first division European club in 2004, stepping up from a general manager's role at OM. Before then, he was a journalist ahead of becoming an agent, handling the likes of Basile Boli, Marcel Desailly, William Gallas, Grégory Coupet, Didier Drogba and Samir Nasri.

Diouf was president of Marseille for five years before stepping aside.