Already marked by several controversies and in particular a scandal of sexual harassment, Noël Le Graët is again in turmoil on Sunday January 8 after controversial remarks on Zinedine Zidane.
[Mis à jour le 9 janvier 2022 à 16h27] “Awkwardness”. This is the line of defense of the Noël le Graët clan after the controversial remarks of the president of the FFF on Sunday October 8 in Marion Bartoli’s program on RMC Sport. Asked about the extension of Didier Deschamps at the head of the Blues until 2026, the president curtly brushed aside the rumors around Zinedine Zidane, even disrespecting the legend of the Blues. “I’ve never met him, we never considered parting with Didier. Some people need to change or invent because they don’t know what to write and they’d rather say bad than good, said he vilified. Quite frankly, I’m never surprised by those who condemn in advance or who have eccentric ideas (…) Zidane in Brazil? I don’t care, he can go where he wants! He can go where he wants, in a club… selection, I hardly believe it as far as he is concerned.”
Faced with the outcry, can the president of the FFF lose his post? As explained RMC Sports, the FFF, like the other Federations, is responsible for a public service mission delegated by the State and the supervisory ministry (in this case that of Sports) has limited means of action. Only an extraordinary general meeting requesting a vote of no confidence can act (article 12 of the statutes). In the event of eviction, the statutes provide that the vice-president (Philippe Diallo, currently) ensures the interim until the end of the current mandate.
Apologies from Noël Le Graët
Faced with the controversy, the president of the FFF published a press release on Monday January 9 with AFP, speaking of awkward remarks and apologizes to Zinedine Zidane. The president of the French Football Federation Noël Le Graët recognizes “clumsy remarks which created a misunderstanding” concerning Zinedine Zidane, to whom he wishes to “present (his) personal apologies”. I would like to apologize for these remarks which absolutely do not reflect my thoughts, nor my consideration for the player he was and the coach he has become. I gave an interview to RMC that I should not have given because he was looking for controversy by opposing Didier to Zinédine Zidane, two monuments of French football. I admit that I made some awkward remarks which created a misunderstanding. Zinédine Zidane knows the immense esteem that I have for him, like all French people.” According to information from the Parisian, the president of the FFF intends to call the world champion to explain his remarks and again apologize.
Many reactions
The reaction of the FFF seemed to be mandatory. Indeed, a few minutes after his remarks, Kylian Mbappé himself defended Zinedine Zidane in a scathing tweet. “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect the legend like that.” A reaction that was welcomed by many personalities, suggesting a probably deleterious atmosphere within the FFF. The Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra also did not fail to reframe Noël Le Graët, already under many controversies for several months. “Statements again above ground with the added bonus this time of a shameful lack of respect, which hurts us all, to a legend of football and sport: a ‘president’ of the first sports federation in France should not say that, estimated the member of the government. Apologies for this too much word about Zinedine Zidane please.”
The political class in general has taken up the subject and is demanding the departure of the president of the FFF. The Minister for SMEs, Olivia Grégoire, notably took the floor. “Football deserves better and our legends too”, she declared on France2 criticizing “a confusing contempt” and a federation president “below everything”. “It is time to ask questions about its future”. “There is this new subject, but there are even more serious subjects which concern Noël Le Graët, in particular on issues relating to women, issues of violence and sexual abuse. The question of his place within the presidency of the Federation must be asked. First of all to the members, who have renewed their confidence in Noël Le Graët. Zinédine Zidane is much more important for the French than Noël Le Graët “explained Aurore Bergé, the Rennaissance deputy at the microphone of France Inter this Monday.
Member of the comex of the FFF, Eric Borghini was amazed by the slippage of Le Graët. Zidane “is an immense champion, one of the French people who makes our country shine and who gathers all the votes around him, an incredible symbol for our youth. This is the reason why I am in total incomprehension of the comments held by the president”, he told AFP, however satisfied that the Breton “pulled himself together and apologized to Zinedine
Cornered for several weeks in the face of controversy and accusations, Noël Le Graët is also scrutinized and even controlled by the government and the Ministry of Sports as part of an audit which must render its conclusions in the coming days or weeks. For the latter, this major survey will “show that the FFF does not do anything, particularly in terms of checking the integrity of supervisors in clubs in the context of the protection of licensees and the fight against all the forms of violence and exclusion, which must not be forgotten, both in terms of prevention and action.”
What do we know about the sexual harassment scandal at the FFF?
In video shared on Youtube on September 16, Romain Molina explains that the various abuses suffered within the FFF have been passed over in silence. He assures that they started in the 1980s with Francis-Pierre Coché, who was then the coach of the French women’s team and allegedly sexually harassed players so that they could join the France team. “This investigation (…) concerns a system. The administrations have succeeded, the leaders have succeeded, but in the end, it is almost the same system of stifling business”, explains the journalist. He takes the example of coach Angélique Roujas, who was fired by the FFF for taking advantage of minors. According to Romain Molina, everyone at the FFF knew about it at the time, but the woman managed to keep her coaching licenses and was fired several years after the fact.
Romain Molina points out that FFF leaders were made aware of these actions, but that no one did anything. Thus, Brigitte Henriques, number 2 of the Federation, would have assured a player that she could do nothing. The author of the survey assures that some families and some players did not dare to speak out of fear. Others, members of amateur clubs or families of members, have sent emails and letters for cases of pedocrime to the FFF. According to the journalist, they did not receive any assistance or response in return. The French Football Federation would not have informed the Ministers of Sports and the competent authorities of the facts entrusted to it. “If it goes to the end, we will realize that the Fed, obviously, was aware and failed in its public service mission”, assures Romain Molina.
This survey appears after the one published by the magazine SoFoot on September 8, 2022 which denounced sexual and moral harassment. Based on numerous testimonies, “sexual” SMS would have been sent by Noël Le Graët to young women. “I prefer blondes, so if that tells you…”; “You are awfully curvy, I would put you in my bed!” These SMS would have been sent to current or past collaborators who testify anonymously in the monthly. “It’s very simple, he jumps on anything that moves”, explains in particular a former administrative officer. The peak? “Everyone is aware at the Federation, says the source again, it’s been going on for ten years.” According to SoFoot, several women have been forced to resign in recent years because they felt “sexually harassed, but also morally”. In response, the FFF sued the magazine for defamation. Following the revelations of SoFoot, the Ministry of Sports launched an audit following a meeting with Noël Le Graët and Florence Hardouin (director general of the body) this Friday. “The Minister told them that she was going to initiate a mission from the General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research (IGESR) to audit and control the management of the Federation and compliance with the obligations that attach themselves to it.
French Radio also unveiled this Wednesday, October 12 a new accusation of sexual harassment against the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët, pushing him towards an imminent resignation?
The newspaper unveils testimonies from women who have worked within the body and denounce the “inappropriate” behavior of the president. “With me, Noël Le Graët was really clumsy, confides a witness. He told me that he wanted to take me home. He did not send me text messages. At that time, he was not a pro on the phone. But they were repeat invitations to come and have dinner with him.” She says, still according to the media, that one Christmas day the president of the FFF told her: “If something happens between us, don’t worry, no one will know.”
Wednesday, October 26, in a very long interview with our colleagues from Parisian, the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët, accused of sexual harassment by many women, rejects all the accusations and even has “the weakness to think” that it is a cabal against him. “These are not accusations, but rumors that are being circulated on the basis of anonymous testimonies. I totally and firmly deny it. I have never harassed anyone” he says firmly at first.
After explaining to our colleagues that he has never had an inappropriate gesture in his whole life towards a woman, he expresses his doubts about a possible plot against him to bring him down. “I have the weakness to think so. It’s so absurd. I tried to look for a face, a person… For several days, my name was thrown out to the ground. I was decked out with all the evils. I took a wave in the face. With the Twitter court, some media prosecutors, it becomes a horror. Enough is enough. It hurts me terribly today…”