The French sports journalist’s untimely passing has left the football community in mourning.
Key Takeaways
- Didier Roustan passed away on September 11, 2024, following a long illness.
- He kept his life secretive, but available information shows he was unmarried.
- His influential role as a football presenter and commentator touched many lives.
Didier Roustan, the French sports journalist famous for his presentation and commentary work, most notably for the L’Équipe television channel, passed away on September 11, 2024, due to liver cancer.
The 66-year-old French-Congolese’s untimely departure was announced by his employer, L’Équipe, which dedicated its newspaper front page to Roustan.
Notre président éternel
— L'ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) September 11, 2024
La une du journal L'Equipe de ce jeudi 12 septembre, en hommage à Didier Roustan pic.twitter.com/jRS6pjsZB1
Didier Roustan was born on October 10, 1957, in Brazzaville, French Congo, French Equatorial Africa (now the Republic of Congo.)
His mother, Martinique, perhaps guided Didier to a journalism career since she worked for Agence France-Presse.
Roustan’s childhood was marked by constant moving between France and Congo.
At 3 years old, he moved to Cannes, where he lived with his grandparents.
In an interview with Libération in 2006, he commented,
I have flashes. I remember the atmosphere. When I go back to Africa, I feel at home,
Via linternaute
Due to the constant moving, Roustan had an unstable familial life and had occasional breakdowns.
Besides the short Libération interview, not much about Roustan’s personal life is known.
As per available information, Didier Roustan was unmarried and had no children.
He was not very active on social media; his last Instagram post was in January 2019, and his Facebook page had no posts.
He was active on Twitter but posted nothing personal, only football-related media.
C’est bien gentil tout ça mais je suis en compagnie de qui ici? pic.twitter.com/C78aD8ML3h
— DidierRoustan (@DidierRoustan) July 29, 2024
Following the news of his passing, many sports outlets expressed their condolences and paid tribute on social media.
Roustan made his commentary debut in 1979, commentating on the France vs. Sweden game, making him the youngest Frenchman to commentate on a France senior team match.
His last commentary was the Argentina vs. Canada match in the 2024 Copa América.
Roustan’s work in football made him a household name and indirectly impacted many lives by introducing the beauty of the game with his passionate blogs.
On Reddit, one user commented,
This one hit close to home. I learned a lot on football from the 70’s and 80’s thanks to him and his blog.
Via Reddit
Although kept mostly private, Didier Roustan’s life was marked by his love and passion for football. His untimely passing has left a significant mark on the sport.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Roustan was nicknamed “Che Guevara” due to his critical views on the commercialization of football.
- He worked alongside football legends like Diego Maradona and Eric Cantona to support the rights and welfare of professional players.
