The highly anticipated UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal on May 30th captivated millions, but it wasn’t just the thrilling penalty shootout victory that left a mark. The match also became a talking point for its commentators’ missteps, which were humorously dissected on Julien Cazarre’s show.
When the dust settled, PSG claimed their first Champions League title with a 1-1 draw (4-3 on penalties), but the real drama unfolded in the commentary boxes. During the Monday evening broadcast of Les Nuits du Cazarre enchaîné, the host and his team took a lighthearted yet ruthless look at the most glaring errors made by journalists covering the event.
Confusion reigns in the commentary boxes
Several commentators faced scrutiny for their on-air blunders. A radio host from Ici Paris mistakenly identified Kai Havertz as the scorer at the 6-minute mark—only to misname him Leandro Trossard, whom he bizarrely called “Tossard.” Meanwhile, a commentator from RMC Sport (the same channel airing the show) upped the ante by confusing Havertz with Declan Rice, Arsenal’s defensive midfielder.
“Was the commentary box at the stadium, or somewhere else entirely?” quipped Julien Cazarre, who has built a reputation for his sharp wit. His co-host, Jean-Christophe Drouet, went further, suggesting the commentators “weren’t even at the match.”
A catalogue of cringe-worthy errors
The mockery didn’t stop there. The duo joked that the commentators might have been watching Arsenal vs. Ipswich in the League Cup instead. They also highlighted a commentator’s misuse of the phrase “faire le dos rond” (to brace for impact), which was incorrectly rendered as “faire le gros dos.”
Another recurring target was the overuse of the phrase “contre-pied parfait” (perfect backheel). Cazarre and Drouet noted how often pundits defaulted to this cliché, turning it into a running joke. Now, they’re setting their sights on the upcoming World Cup, urging listeners to report commentator bloopers through their “Balance ton com’” initiative—a call for crowdsourced media critique.
For football fans and media watchers alike, the show offered a rare moment of levity in the high-stakes world of sports journalism. While the commentators may not have appreciated the ribbing, the audience certainly did.
