Jean-Michel Larqué never stayed away from football for long. At the end of his playing career, which spanned 17 years among professionals with seven French championship titles, three Coupe de France and 16 selections for the French team, the reconversion of the native of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques was established. During his last seasons at RC Paris, he was in fact both player, coach and already a consultant alongside Thierry Roland at the microphone of Antenne 2.
Having also become a journalist for the monthly Onze, the former midfielder left Antenne 2 for TF1 in 1984 and formed alongside Thierry Roland one of the most iconic commentator duos, even having the right to their puppets at Les Guignols. The tandem worked alongside the Blues for twenty years, until one evening in November 2004 and a sad France-Poland (0-0). The fault lies with the directors of the first channel, who are less and less interested in his outbursts, and do not hesitate to push Thierry Roland towards the exit, at 67 years old.
“It was a real tragedy! He didn’t understand… As Étienne Mougeotte was his friend, he couldn’t imagine that the latter could have made such a decision. He had a very, very bad experience, told to Figaro Jean-Michel Larqué. For him, there was only sport and commentary in life. »
Thierry Roland was to reunite with Jean-Michel Larqué for Euro 2012
The end of his relationship with Thierry Roland also constitutes a real wound for Jean-Michel Larqué, even though he will continue the adventure behind the headline microphone with Christian Jeanpierre then Thierry Gilardi. “Between Christian and me, the mayonnaise did not take. Maybe I was unmotivated, but I think we’re both a little to blame. In the comments, I believe that Christian does not convey passion. I don’t believe that he has, for sport in general and for football in particular, the passion that Thierry Roland had.
he confided about his duet with Christian Jeanpierre
In turn landed by the first channel, the former Stéphanois then sees his dream of working again with his former friend disappear. While the duo must be reconstituted for Euro 2012, broadcast on M6, Thierry Roland’s medical concerns decide otherwise.
“He was so happy to reform the tandem that inevitably he left without it, and that is perhaps what is most terrible. I could have given him his last joy. And I couldn’t”, will miss Jean-Michel Larqué at the time of the death of the man who covered 13 World Cups.
“I miss him, I haven’t replaced him. My great regret is that we were not able to do this last Euro together, in 2012. There is a taste of unfinished business, especially since I know that this reunion meant a lot to him. he said later, adding: “Longevity is a guarantee of complicity with the public. Maybe people recognized each other through our tandem. Above all, we had the chance to work during the glory days of French football. »
