The former star sports commentator on France Television is in Munich to cover the European Championships. With limited means and a sense of resourcefulness.
He remains THE voice of athletics, the one who accompanied the exploits of Marie-José Pérec in the 400m at the Olympic Games, the world records of Usain Bolt or the fabulous finish of Christine Arron offering gold to France. at the 2003 Worlds in Paris. A stamp that accompanied the shivers of millions of his French compatriots glued to the television set to vibrate with the Gods of the stadium. After 33 years of comments, Patrick Montel had to close in November 2021 the chapter of France Televisions, pushed out by the management of the audiovisual group after supporting marathon runner Clémence Calvin on Facebook who had evaded doping control. Le Parisien has undoubtedly also paid the price for the new policy of “place for young people” decreed by the new management.
But the hour of retirement has not yet fully come for the former professor of economics, who still proclaims his love for sport at 69 years old. “I have passion in my heart and I always feel like a junior“, he assures. This week, the journalist is present in Munich to comment on the European Athletics Championships in his own way. With minimal means: an internet connection, Facebook and his smartphone are his only working tools. “Munich is next door, so I came after getting my accreditation, like everyone else. Thanks to Radio Montel, the organizers took me seriously when I applied“, he says from Bavaria.
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With Radio Montel, it’s resourcefulness
Radio Montel is a media, created via Facebook, with the help of a collaborator during the episode of the health crisis, “a way to talk about those to whom we never hand the microphones, like trailers“, he specifies. “We still managed to unite close to 200,000 people who do me the honor of sharing their passion for sport via this channel.“, adds the one who was distinguished by Three Gold Microphones, rewarding his covers of sporting events, not without a touch of pride. In 2021, he had already brought the Tokyo Olympics to life daily from France, achieving great success with Internet users savoring his verbal flights as much as his more calm analyses.
I don’t want to have my accreditation torn up
Patrick Montel
In Germany, Patrick Montel discovered the world of resourcefulness, bypassing the means of public television which he enjoyed for several decades. Not being a rights holder, he was prohibited from broadcasting comments in the stadium. He had to adapt so as not to be slapped on the knuckles, by broadcasting the following morning of the events his comments recorded under live conditions. A delayed live, in a way. “I don’t want to have my accreditation torn up so I indulge myself by finding a way to express myself in a new space“, he admits.
Live in the metro to comment on the European Championships
This week, we saw him comment live on certain events in the middle of the street, near Munich central station, in front of passers-by visibly flabbergasted to witness the fiery gesticulations of this foreigner in front of his smartphone. True to himself. Another time, he analyzed, live again, the abandonment of Kevin Mayer… from a subway train. “I think people are a little taken aback because I’m very angry in the subway“, he let go, amused, in this sequence. The image moves a little, the framing is approximate, it even loses its balance at one point, but the magic of the live works: “The street and the metro were a delirium. I do not forbid myself anything because I no longer represent the public service. I am completely free. The only thing I forbid myself is to criticize anyone. Those I don’t like, I don’t talk about. Those I love, I tell them.»
He just had the opportunity to testify to his attachment to some of his former collaborators by passing on the set of France Televisions, at the beginning of the week, in the Olympic stadium. All in discretion. “I have no bitterness. I am happy to see Alexandre Pasteur succeed me, in a different style. I have a lot of respect for my old house and obviously I don’t claim to compete with it. They waved at me, I waved at them, it was a very special moment“, recognizes the former of the house, undoubtedly relieved. The wound of his departure seems to have healed. “Today, I made my mourning of France Télévisions, it was not easy. Without wanting to do psychoanalysis, for a year, it was even hard“, he concedes.
After this stall in his old house, Patrick Montel left to stroll around the stadium and its surroundings. This is his new way of fishing for information. The mixed zone, a place where the athletes parade in front of the media after their events, very little for him. “I do not have the place of Nelson Monfort who is in n°2. Me, I’m 50e in the order of appearance (laughs) and then I realized that it was not there that we collected the strongest things. The athletes have already answered fifteen interviews before me, they are tired and want to move on. So I go behind the scenes and leave it a bit to chance“, slips the commentator. Finally, chance, not quite since many athletes still recognize his reel or his voice. This necessarily facilitates meetings and improvised interviews.
I have no accreditation, no proposal. I will put myself on the job market and propose my candidacy for the Olympics
Patrick Montel
Sunday evening, when the curtain falls on the European Championships, Patrick Montel will close the parenthesis after having enjoyed a bath of youth across the Rhine. “It’s a return to basics, exactly the same emotion as before me if I no longer have the same means. Yes, Radio Montel makes me as happy as in the days of TV“, he assures. We relaunch it on the prospect of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. A party in which he absolutely wants to participate: “I can’t get that out of my head. For the moment, I have no accreditation, no proposal. I will put myself on the labor market and submit my application. I hope someone will be interested. I can’t imagine not being there. There, I would have a hard time recovering from it. I tell myself that maybe, one day, a light will turn on somewhere.»