Football mourns the death of one of its most fervent lovers. On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, Didier Roustan, a journalist born in Brazzaville with a long career in France, died at the age of 66. The man loved football like life, since this sport was his. The round ball has lost one of the last romantics, a football fanatic with a willingly South American accent.
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A lover of the beautiful game, of South America and nostalgic for a “romantic” football, the journalist Didier Roustan, former great voice of Téléfoot and columnist on the L’Équipe channel, died suddenly at the age of 66. Didier Roustan, a leading figure on the L’Équipe channel since 1999, died suddenly during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday after several weeks of battling illness. ” announced the sports daily on its website on Wednesday.
Passionate, loving to mix the small and the big story with a thousand anecdotes to tell, the native of Brazzaville (Congo), who grew up in Cannes, left his mark on several generations of football-loving viewers. I see myself as a kind of African storyteller. “, he declared in September 2023 on the occasion of the release of his book of memories Puzzle in which he narrated the highlights of his rich career and the encounters that marked his life. In the show The guest On TV5 Monde to discuss his book, he explained that he wanted to be cremated with some photos and objects that are dear to him, including the badge of AS Cannes, the club whose pitches he played for in his youth.
A rich career as a journalist
A fan of colorful shirts and football jerseys, Roustan had a unique, inimitable style, peppering his interventions with cultural or historical references and lyrical flights, with a pronounced prism for South America and more particularly Argentina. A journey off the beaten track that led him to create the world players’ union (AIFP) in 1995 with the Albiceleste legend Diego Maradona.
Didier Roustan discusses the creation of the world players’ union in 1995 with Diego Maradona and Eric Cantona
Roustan began his career at the age of 19 on TF1, commentating on his first match for the French team at just 21 before very quickly becoming a pillar of the cult show Téléfoot, which he presented between 1986 and 1989. He then worked for Canal+, doing in-depth reports on all sports.
He joined Antenne 2 (the ancestor of France 2) in 1992, forming a duo of commentators with a very free tone with his great friend Eric Cantona during the World Cup-94 in the United States. This was then the adventure of L’Équipe TV from 1999 where he was one of the leading columnists of the show L’Équipe du soir with the title of “President for life”. A special edition was also dedicated to him on Wednesday evening on the channel. In parallel with his activities on television, the journalist also hosted the podcast Roustan Foot.
Hailed by the world of football and the media
The death of Didier Roustan has sparked a wave of emotion in the world of football and the media. FFF President Philippe Diallo hailed the “ freedom of tone » and the « passion ” of “ one of the great voices » of French football. The coach of the Blues Didier Deschamps paid tribute to a man who “ loved the game and the players, the stadiums and their atmospheres “. “ We will miss his passion for football. “, added the technician. His passion for Diego Maradona, whose praises he never stopped singing and whom he always considered one of the greatest. Not the greatest, who in his eyes was still Pelé, but a player who loved football above all else and who was capable of provoking emotions on the pitch like no one else.
From an emotional point of view, Maradona, you can’t fight
Didier Roustan on Diego Maradona
Michel Platini, whose European title victory with the French team in 1984, the first international title in the history of the Tricolores, Roustan had commented on live on television, described him as “a revolutionary in journalism” on the L’Équipe website. How sad, how sad! My friend for 40 years, Didier Roustan left us last night. A real character, a football enthusiast, a real man. I have always loved you my Didier, I will miss you terribly. All my thoughts to his family “, also wrote on X the former midfielder of the Blues and PSG Luis Fernandez.
Having passed through the RFI studios several times, he also left an indelible mark on the minds of several of our journalists. The former boss of Canal+ Pierre Lescure, for his part, spoke of “ humanly, professionally, an impeccable, generous, committed, passionate man “.