Paris Saint-Germain defeated AS Monaco 3-2 this Tuesday at the Stade Louis II in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League playoffs (return leg on February 25). Following this victory, journalist Daniel Riolo spoke to RMC Sport. He notably commented on the celebrations of Désiré Doué, the 20-year-old midfielder/forward who covered his ears after scoring his two goals. This has clearly led to criticism and alarm.
Riolo said, “It’s a bit like him telling Dembélé: ‘Shut up.'”
“His response with his hands over his ears is inappropriate. It means you don’t accept criticism. If it’s only criticism from the media, no problem. Here, the situation is a bit different because it’s his teammates. I like that he has character, I like this player. But it’s a bit like he’s telling Dembélé: ‘shut up.’
You could say that the most important thing is that he turned the game around, silenced the critics, scored two goals, and had an excellent match. In your day (Petit’s day), you knew what footballers were like, their egos, the little remarks that seem insignificant but leave their mark. Twenty years later, it’s a thousand times worse: the players’ egos; social media.
Riolo “could this hands-over-ear gesture provoke a reaction from Dembélé?”
“I can find his match fantastic, we love Doué, we love seeing him like that, his slightly arrogant side, it doesn’t bother me. I’m willing to accept that his last three or four outings weren’t great. I’m just asking the question: could this gesture of putting his hands to his ear provoke a reaction from Dembélé: ‘Was that hand to his ear directed at me?’ In a locker room, there are completely innocuous things that wouldn’t be a problem for us, but they’re such high-performance machines…”
It’s fascinating, depressing, and irritating to see pundits, journalists, and even some fans looking for interpretations of things (celebrations, statements, or whatever) when they don’t have all the facts. Above all, they often lack perspective. It’s easier to jump to conclusions, without nuance.
Here, however, there’s a very simple question: was Doué’s gesture really directed at Ousmane Dembélé? Some media outlets and fans decided that his dig after the defeat in Rennes was aimed at Doué. However, it was a collective reaction. Since then, there has been a lot of commotion, and waves of criticism from the media and supporters have rained down on the Parisian number 14. It was possibly simply a response to this criticism, indicating that he doesn’t pay attention to these external noises and that he’s continuing on his path.
This aligns with coach Luis Enrique’s response in the pre-match press conference. When asked about Dembélé’s comments, he clearly replied, “There’s always a lot of noise surrounding PSG. We’re used to it.”
Riolo’s statement seems to vindicate him, which could be particularly frustrating for a journalist who likes to find fault and problems with the Parisian coach. He’s possibly making a fuss over nothing, trying to find an issue that probably doesn’t exist. If the players have things to say directly to each other, they can say them. They don’t need the media or a celebration. They need public messages. But you clearly have to be very clear, otherwise they know how to miss the point.
