At the headquarters of the "3F", a large page of French football is turning with the departure of the 81-year-old entrepreneur, weakened for months by an overwhelming audit mission and several slippages.

Always so unpredictable and unfathomable, the "Menhir" of French football, president of the League from 1991 to 2000 then of the FFF since 2011, was slow to hand over, 13 days after the communication of an audit report commissioned by the Ministry of Sports.

But the conclusions of the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research (IGESR) left no room for maneuver to the Breton.

Resign to "better defend yourself"

"Through his decision, he has shown once again that he is a great leader of French football", reacted Philippe Diallo, vice-president who will now take over the interim, at least until the Federal Assembly on 10 June.

"His decision allows the Federation to continue its march forward and at Noël Le Graët to better defend itself", according to him.

Infographic on the various presidents of the French Football Federation since its creation in 1919 © Ayoub SIMOUR, Sophie RAMIS, Paz PIZARRO / AFP

Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, behind the audit mission, said Le Graët had made "the right decision for the FFF and for himself", in a statement sent to AFP.

At the Federation's headquarters in Paris, the executive committee analyzed the conclusions of the IGESR audit for the first time.

He also singled out the body, in particular for its policy of combating gender-based and sexual violence, which "lacks effectiveness and efficiency" according to the inspectors.

FFF president Noël Le Graët, before a Euro match between France and Switzerland, June 28, 2021 in Bucharest © FRANCK FIFE / AFP / Archives

In a press release, the FFF denounced a report having "sometimes led to a disproportionate denigration of the body", regretting a "lack of real contradictory procedure".

The “Fédé” joins its ex-president here: he too had criticized, via his lawyers, an audit mission “resembling an indictment”, subjected “to political and media pressure which could only bias it”.

Ineluctable, the exit of Noël Le Graët was accompanied by tributes for the "sporting and economic record" of the leader, to whom we attribute the recovery of the "3F" after the scandal of the World Cup-2010 in South Africa .

The president of the Professional Football League (LFP), Vincent Labrune (G) and that of Olympique Lyonnais, Jean-Michel Aulas, at the headquarters of the French Federation (FFF), of which they are members of the executive committee, on 28 February 2023 © Thomas SAMSON / AFP

The Amateur Football League, for example, hailed the "sense of responsibility" of Noël Le Graët, whose choice "opens up prospects for ending the crisis".

Deacon's future decided quickly

This exit from the crisis is still likely to be turbulent.

The president of the League of Paris-Ile-de-France, Jamel Sandjak, has already accentuated the vagueness by resigning in recent days from the executive committee, while many lend him presidential ambitions.

The former boss of the Professional League Frédéric Thiriez, historical opponent of Le Graët, also claimed to AFP that "the departure of a man will not solve (it) all the problems".

The coach of the France team Corinne Deacon and the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët, June 4, 2019 in Clairefontaine © FRANCK FIFE / AFP / Archives

The threat of an early dismissal of the Comex by the Federal Assembly continues to weigh, even if that would require that a quarter of its members, in the clubs, leagues and local districts, jointly request the convening of a AG.

Tuesday, in any case, the Comex displayed its unity: no other member wished to resign individually.

As for Le Graët, he intends to continue his work at Fifa, as delegate of President Gianni Infantino in Paris.

A position he has held since January 2022.

At the heart of these debates, the staff of the "Fédé" appointed a commission of four members to study the future of Corinne Deacon.

The coach of the France team is weakened after the withdrawal of her three flagship players Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who criticize her management.

The coach of the France team Corinne Deacon and the interim president of the FFF Philippe Diallo, before a match of the Blue against Norway, February 21, 2023 in Angers © JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP / Archives

Five months before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (July 20-August 20), the crisis seems insoluble.

Decisions are expected within "eight or 15 days", warned Philippe Diallo.

© 2023 AFP