Monaco/PSG – Riolo takes a swipe at Désiré Doué but misses the mark

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·18 février 2026

Monaco/PSG – Riolo takes a swipe at Désiré Doué but misses the mark

Paris Saint-Germain claimed a 2-3 victory against AS Monaco (video highlights Monaco/PSG) this Tuesday at the Stade Louis II in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League playoffs (return leg on February 25). After this win, journalist Daniel Riolo spoke on 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 led to criticism and, apparently, some alarmism.

Riolo: “It’s a bit like he’s saying to Dembélé: ‘shut up.’”

“His response with his hands over his ears is inappropriate. It means you don’t accept criticism. If it’s just criticism from the media, no problem. Here, the situation is a bit different because it’s coming from his teammates. I like that he has character, I like this player. But it’s a bit like he’s saying to Dembélé: ‘shut up.’ You could say the most important thing is that he turned the match around, silenced the critics, scored two goals, and had an excellent game. In your time (referring to Petit), you know what footballers were like, their egos, the little remarks that seem insignificant but leave a mark. Twenty years later, it’s a thousand times worse: the players’ egos; social media.”

Riolo: “Could this hands-over-the-ears gesture provoke a reaction from Dembélé?”

I can find his match fantastic, we like Doué, we like to see him like that, his little arrogant side doesn’t bother me. I can admit that his last three or four performances weren’t great. I’m just asking the question: could this hands-over-the-ears gesture provoke a reaction from Dembélé: ‘was that gesture about me?’ In a locker room, there are things that seem totally trivial to us but for them, they are such high-performance machines…”

It’s fascinating, depressing, and annoying to see pundits, journalists, and even some supporters, searching for interpretations of elements (celebrations, statements, or otherwise) when they don’t have all the facts. Above all, they often lack perspective. It’s easier to rush to one side, without nuance.

Vidéos OneFootball

Here, however, there’s a very simple question: was Doué’s gesture really aimed at Ousmane Dembélé? Some media and fans decided that his jab after the defeat at Rennes was aimed at Doué. Yet, it was collective. Since then, there’s mostly been a lot of commotion and waves of criticism from the media or supporters have fallen on Paris’s number 14. It was possibly just a response to these, to indicate that he’s not listening to outside noise and is continuing on his path.

This aligns with coach Luis Enrique’s response in the press conference before the match. Asked about Dembélé’s comments, he replied clearly “there’s always a lot of noise around PSG. We’re used to it.”

Riolo’s comments prove him right, which could be particularly frustrating for a journalist who likes to look for faults and problems on the Parisian coach’s side. Here, he’s possibly making a fuss over nothing, trying to see a problem that probably doesn’t exist. If the players have things to say to each other directly, they can do so. They don’t need the media or a celebration. The latter need public messages. But apparently, you have to be very clear, otherwise they’ll easily miss the point.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.