Paris, April 6: French Ligue 1 club Reims were left with nothing but mourning as they came to know that long-serving doctor Bernard Gonzalez committed suicide after getting diagnosed with coronavirus.

Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot said the coronavirus pandemic has affected the club "in the heart" following the death of Gonzalez, who French newspaper Le Parisien reported committed suicide after contracting COVID-19, reports goal.com. How to Overcome Suicidal Thoughts During COVID-19 Pandemic? Tips to Calm Down Your Anxious Mind During Isolation and Quarantine.

The Ligue 1 side confirmed the death of their doctor on Sunday and posted a poetic tribute to the 60-year-old on Sunday, describing him as "a man of science and literature, with inexhaustible curiosity".

Jean-Pierre Caillot, President of the club, said: "Words fail me, I am stunned, prostrate before this news."

"This pandemic affects the Stade de Reims in the heart, it is a personality of Reims and a great professional of the sport who left us. His mission to the club of more than 20 years has been carried out with the utmost professionalism, in a passionate and even selfless manner." British Boxing Great Nigel Benn Reveals His Brother Mark Died From Coronavirus.

Bernard Caiazzo, president of the group which represents clubs in the French top flight, last month revealed that Ligue 1 would likely not resume until mid-June, but the competition needed to be completed.

France has been one of the hardest hit nations worldwide by COVID-19 with more than 8,000 deaths so far.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2020 04:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).