Could this be too much controversy for Noël Le Graët? The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) has been under fire from critics for almost 48 hours for attacking Zinédine Zidane, legend of French football.
Noël Le Graët, the song of departure?
Asked Sunday evening on the set of RMC Sport about a possible position as coach for the former number 10, Noël Le Graët assured not to have “nothing to shake” of the future destination of Zinédine Zidane, declared candidate for the succession of Didier Deschamps. “I would not even have taken him on the phone (…) He can go where he wants! He can go to a big club in Europe… A selection, I hardly believe it as far as he is concerned”he protested, icy.
Of the ” disappointment ” from Emmanuel Macron to the anger of Kylian Mbappé, passing through the bewilderment of the former player and ex-teammate of Zizou in 1998, Frank Leboeuf, the world of football and the political class is unanimous: Noël Le Graët went too far. However, it is not this exit that could cause the fall of the president, in office since 2011.
Numerous accusations of harassment
The octogenarian, former mayor of Guingamp in the Côtes-d’Armor, is indeed the subject of several accusations of harassment. Latest: that of sports agent Sonia Souid. This Tuesday, December 10, in “ the team ” and on RMCshe denounces the sexist behavior of the president of the FFF.
“He told me face to face, in his apartment, very clearly, that if I wanted him to help me, I had to go to the pan”says in the daily Sonia Souid who wanted to talk to Noël Le Graët, telling about an appointment intended to promote women’s football. “While I feel competent and legitimate because I have managed to do things even in difficulty, excuse me for the term but my president sees me as two breasts and an ass”, she also testifies to RMC. Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera, who is calling for the departure of the president of the FFF, congratulated on twitter “Sonia Souid for the courage of (her) testimony”.
This testimony is added to a long list of women who accuse Noël Le Graët of inappropriate behavior. Several current or past collaborators of the FFF had testified to “So Foot” of messages sent by the Breton leader. “Come to my house for dinner tonight”, “I prefer blondes, so if that tells you”, “You are awfully curvy, I would put you in my bed”… According to the employees, sexism at the FFF is “raised to the rank of art” and Noel Le Graët “jump on anything that moves”.
Sexual violence: the case that could (finally) free speech in football
In mid-October, the Radio France investigation unit published the testimony of former employees denouncing the behavior ” inappropriate “ Of the president. As for the testimonies collected by “So Foot”, the former collaborators speak of“repeated invitations to come and dine with him”calls “almost every night”hand on the thigh and“a sexist climate and misogynistic behavior at the FFF”. Words and behaviors “firmly” denied by Noël Le Graët.
Dropped by the “Comex”?
In the hot seat, Noël Le Graët could well see the coup de grace fall by the end of the month. The conclusions of an audit mission launched in October 2022 following suspicions of harassment are, in fact, expected by the end of January. In the meantime, Noël Le Graët will again be subject to questions from the General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research (IGESR) this Tuesday, January 10.
Roxana Maracineanu: “The federations can no longer turn a blind eye” to sexual violence in sport
As the controversies pile up and the testimonies for the prosecution accumulate, the presence of Noël Le Graët begins to seriously embarrass the upper echelons of French football. On Monday, the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra called on the fifteen members of the Comex (the Executive Committee of the FFF) to ” take [leurs] responsibilities” about the Breton leader, whose countless “successive exits from the road” ran out of patience.
According to information from RMC Sportsseveral members of the Executive Committee believe that it is now time to ” turn the page “. The presidents of leagues and districts must also position themselves in the coming days on the future of the president of the Federation. In the event of resignation, it would be the vice-president Philippe Diallo who would ensure the interim until the designation of a candidate within the Comex.
