Football is about emotions, guts, irrational moments. This Tuesday evening, during the crazy match between Scotland and Denmark (4-2) qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, Yoann Riou embodied this passion on the L’Équipe channel. Cries, tears, boundless enthusiasm: the commentator experienced the Scottish exploit as if he had been born in Glasgow. And for this, for having been alive, true and exuberant, he was the target of a “scandalous” outpouring of hatred on social networks. A “ridicule” lawsuit brought by an army of anonymous people and self-proclaimed purists who seem to have forgotten the very essence of this sport.
The lynching of passion: “Unbearable”, “Pathetic”? No, alive!
From the final whistle, social networks, with X in the lead, became an open court. “ Yoann Riou spoils the match for us (…) because he is so unbearable» railed an Internet user. “ He’s ridiculous… Pathetic,” added another. He is accused of overplaying, of shouting for nothing, of lacking analysis. These harsh, often violent criticisms reveal a sad truth about our time: we have become accustomed to sanitized, cold, technical comments, where emotion is suspect. Those who attack Riou are often “frustrated jealous people”, incapable of thrilling in front of a match, preferring the monotonous comfort of television standards to the contagious madness of a man who loves football more than anything.
A true connoisseur, not a clown
Because reducing Yoann Riou to a clown is an insult to his career and his culture. Son of a Breton fisherman, journalist The Team since 2001, he has been roaming the stadiums for decades. His love for Scotland is not feigned: he spent entire weekends there, visited the legendary stadiums, met the legends. When he ignites for a goal from McTominay or a lob from McLean, it’s not cinema, it’s the raw expression of a enthusiast who knows the value of the feat. As he himself said: “ Commenting on a football match is the most beautiful thing in the world.“
Football NEEDS Yoann Riou
Fortunately, in the midst of the mud, voices were raised to defend him, pointing out the obvious. “ Thank you Yoann Riou you make us vibrate,” wrote a grateful Internet user. “ Yoann Riou is an exceptional commentator (…) continues to watch TF1 with soft commentators,” retorted another to a hater. This support proves that there is still an audience seeking pure emotion. On a free channel, Riou offers a total spectacle.
Let the passion live!
This harassment is outrageous. Yoann Riou is not perfect, he is divisive, certainly, but he is authentic. In modern football that is often too smooth, his derailed voice and his tears are a breath of fresh air. So, to those who find it “unbearable”: change the channel, and let the real football lovers vibrate with it.
