Thierry_Roland
Thierry Roland
French sports journalist (1937–2012)
Thierry José Roland (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ʒoze ʁɔˈlɑ̃]; 4 August 1937 – 16 June 2012)[1] was a French sports commentator who was France's leading football commentator for 59 years.[2] He began his career as a radio journalist for the ORTF when he was just 16 years old.[2] Roland then became a television sports journalist at age 20.[2] He commentated on more than 1,000 football matches, including thirteen World Cups (beginning with the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile) and nine UEFA European Championships.[2][3] He was nicknamed La voix du football ("The voice of football").
Roland was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburban city just southwest of Paris. He died in the 15th arrondissement of Paris of a cerebrovascular event at age 74.[4]