Former Auxerre goalkeeper Anthony Basso passes away | OneFootball

There was some sad news in the Burgundy region this weekend as former goalkeeper Anthony Basso passed away.

Born in Besançon, Basso began his career at AJ Auxerre in 1999, moving shortly after that to join Udinese in Serie A. He’d make just one appearance for them before being loaned out to numerous lower-tiered clubs in Italy.

His biggest highlight as a professional footballer came during a spell in Norway for Viking in 2005, who were managed by longtime Premier League coach Roy Hodgson at the time. In what was then known as the UEFA Cup back then (Europa League today), Basso put in a stellar performance against AS Monaco in the group stage of that competition, making numerous outstanding saves in a 1-0 victory for the Norwegians.

That performance captured the attention of several Ligue 1 clubs, including his former manager Guy Roux, with the legendary Auxerre boss bringing him back to AJA in July 2006. At the time, the Frenchman favoured Basso over veteran Fabien Cool between the sticks. However, both goalkeepers suffered long-term injuries, with the club signing Rémy Riou from Olympique Lyonnais and Basso failing to make an appearance for them.

Basso transferred to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership in 2007, making seven appearances for them across all competitions.

In 2010, he returned to play for his hometown club at Besançon in the French fourth division, playing a handful of matches before making one final stop at Yverdon-Sport in the Swiss Challenge League in early 2011. At the time of his death, Basso was 45.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre