Paris (AFP)

Taking advantage of the cacophony of clubs and the silence of the League, the unsinkable president of the Federation Noël Le Graët held the helm of French football with authority during the coronavirus storm, without making waves, except in the amateur environment.

At 78, including almost ten spent managing the FFF, he faced the big weather from his city of Guingamp with two missions: to set the course for hexagonal football, tossed by headwinds, and limit the damage for his local specialized businesses in preserves, frozen foods and ready meals.

"I go from my home to the office, without going through the factories, paying attention," told AFP the Breton at the end of March, weakened by leukemia before the 2018 World Cup, but now in good shape, on his own. confession.

Worried about his "fishing activity" which leaves "a certain number of people at the dock", the former socialist mayor of Guingamp has at the same time increased exchanges with UEFA, clubs, the League, the Ministry of Sports and the Elysée.

- "He has the last word" -

And despite the background noises, the voice of the Breton resounded louder than the others at a time when the controversies over a resumption or not of the competitions accumulated.

In the media, the former teacher did not hesitate to lecture the president of Olympique Lyonnais Jean-Michel Aulas, who was opposed to the final judgment. At the Bureau of the League, his regular interventions hit the bull's eye, notably to block the project of large-scale borrowing from foreign investment funds.

During the crisis, he remained faithful to his principles: the "green light" could only come from the State and "without health risk for our spectators and our players".

Finally, the executive pulled out the red card by decreeing April 28 the end of the professional sports seasons. The same evening, Le Graët announced to the Telegram that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 were "definitively stopped".

Leaving to short-circuit the Professional Football League (LFP), the organizer of these two championships? Few have expressed it publicly.

"Yes, Noël Le Graët is in charge, he asserts his authority and when the governance is a bit weak, he makes the difference", testifies with AFP Pierre Ferracci, the president of Paris FC (Ligue 2).

The Breton leader "is fortunate to have a governance of the FFF which turns rather well, with a Comex (Executive Committee, editor's note) aligned with the main orientations. In the League, there is not a course as clear" , he continues.

- "No listening" -

In practice, the Federation's executive committee can also revoke a decision of the League, which allows Le Graët to weigh upstream.

"If there is a decision by the LFP that does not comply with Federation rules, it will not be accepted," confirms Claude Michy, president of the Union of French Professional Clubs (UCPF).

On April 30, the League also chose to freeze the positions after the 28th day of Ligue 1 by using the calculation method of the Federation for its amateur championships.

Guarantor of the link between professional and amateur football, Le Graët campaigned for the same rules to apply to everyone: after confirming relegation among amateurs, he did not defend the maintenance of Le Mans (19th) and Orleans (20th ) in Ligue 2 ... despite the many calls to that effect.

But the authority of the leader, whose term ends in March 2021, occasionally turns against him.

"There is no communication, listening and consultation. Decisions are taken from above", denounces the president of the French Association of amateur football, Eric Thomas.

The latter also castigates certain "exceptions" granted, as in the Grand-Est League, authorized to create an additional group in its Regional 1 championship contrary to the regulations. "These are arrangements between friends," he is indignant, noting that the president of this League is part of the "Comex" of the Federation. "We grant privileges for a few relatives and we impose duties for amateur football and its volunteers".

In separate letters, deputies Marie-George Buffet (PCF) and Sacha Houlié (LREM) also questioned Le Graët on the decision-making process and called for a massive financial support plan for amateur clubs.

The FFF certainly promised in mid-April to activate an exceptional fund "in the coming days". But a month later, it is still in the cards.

© 2020 AFP