Almost 37 years ago, the left side Jean-François Domergue was the great architect of the accession to the Euro final of the France team by scoring a double against Portugal (3-2 ap) during the semi-final in Marseille in 1984. Four days later, the Blues won their first major international competition by winning (2-0) against Spain.
His son Xavier, 39, also hopes to live a final with France on July 11 in London.
He will be in the forum to comment with Robert Pirès, consultant, this last meeting of the Euro broadcast on M 6, a channel he joined in June 2020.
"It's a childhood dream come true to comment on the Blues even if I have never had a defined career project," he admits.
"There will have been two Domergues in the final and he can also win a title," smiles Jean-François.
It's nice, I'm very proud of him.
His arrival at M 6 is an additional step in his career as a journalist.
In important moments, he made the right choices.
"
"He is at the level of Grégoire Margotton and the late Thierry Gilardi"
Born in Bordeaux (Gironde), the future commentator developed an early passion for the round ball.
He then played at the SBUC (Bordeaux university club stadium) as a defensive midfielder.
His college and high school friend was then called Marc Planus who would become a professional and even international player (a cape in 2010).
The Girondins de Bordeaux offered him an aspiring contract during his adolescence but the kid refused.
“He saw football more as a leisure sport,” explains Jean-François Domergue.
The easiest way would have been to put him in the Girondins earlier, as my father had done with me, but I was afraid that they would say that he had a pass because he was the son of… ”“ I have no regrets because I had a balance between school and sport, ”says his son.
After a business school in Bordeaux, Xavier Domergue moved towards sports journalism.
He did internships at France Football magazine and Eurosport then became a freelance writer for Orange, Ma Chaîne Sport and Canal +.
When beIN Sports was launched in 2012, Charles Biétry thought of him.
"I had heard it on Orange, it was one of my priorities because I had detected in him enormous qualities, such as vocabulary, passion, restraint, lists the former sports boss of Canal +.
I was sure he would be in the top 3 commentators across all channels within 2-3 years.
He is today at the level of Grégoire Margotton and the late Thierry Gilardi.
"
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With his partner Patrice Ferri (former pro in Saint-Etienne and Lyon), Xavier Domergue comments on the L1, the Euro (2012 and 2016) and the World Cup (2014 and 2018).
His tone of voice is reminiscent of Grégoire Margotton.
Some even speak of a vocal double.
"It doesn't annoy me but I would like us to stop talking about it, I've been told it for 10 years," said the father of 3 children aged 4 to 9.
I'm not trying to copy, it's not my idea.
I prefer to have fun with it.
Grégoire had some nice messages.
We both sound pretty serious.
Grégoire was a source of inspiration like Thierry Gilardi and others.
It's okay to be inspired by the best.
"
In duet with his father at the comments of France-Portugal 1984
Arrived on M 6 in June 2020 to comment on the French male and female teams, Xavier Domergue is unanimous within the channel which entrusted him with the program "Who wants to be my associate? »Replacing Julien Courbet. “I did the shoot in April and May. It was an opportunity that presented itself to me and I tried to take up the challenge because it is important to put yourself in danger, ”he explains. During the Euro, M 6 offers exclusive content on its 6play platform including a 100% Football channel which broadcasts 50 matches that have marked the history of the Euro including the mythical France-Portugal of 1984 commented in full by Xavier and his father Jean-François.
“There was emotion with my dad because we had ups and downs in our relationship. My parents are divorced. It was not easy but we found each other and today very close, he confides modestly. It was great to be able to comment on the biggest game of my dad's career with him. "
