Noël Le Graët has been strongly criticized for having asserted last week that "racism does not exist in football".
The president of the French Federation (FFF), invited Saturday evening on Europe 1, returned to his words.
INTERVIEW
Noël Le Graët responds to criticism.
The president of the FFF, invited Saturday evening on Europe 1, wanted to clarify his remarks on racism, triggering a beginning of controversy.
"The racist phenomenon in sport and in football in particular does not exist, or little", declared Noël Le Graët in an interview with
BFM Business
, two days after the PSG-OM match and the incident between Neymar and Alvaro Gonzalez.
The boss of the FFF reaffirmed it in the program
Facing the listeners of Europe 1
: "Football is not racist".
"In the locker room the players get along well. There can be bickering but between the whites and the blacks there is no difference", continued Noël Le Graët.
"We cannot control everything, especially the spectators. But football is not racist. The players are proud to belong to a club and in general there is no gap between the players," he said. he judges.
>> The entire interview with Noël Le Graët "Facing the listeners of Europe 1" can be heard on Saturday evening between 8 pm and 9 pm
"The Federation is generally a little heavier hand" to sanction the players
Noël Le Graët also returned to the very tense PSG-OM of September 13, which ended with five red cards (three for PSG, two for OM).
Several players have been sanctioned (Kurzawa, Di Maria ...) but the disciplinary committee of the Professional Football League (LFP) has yet to look into the accusations of racism brought by Neymar against Alvaro Gonzalez.
It will rule on this issue on September 30.
"In the Federation we generally have a little heavier hand than the League. We have a scale of sanctions which is public and voted in assembly. The League has another, slightly lighter, but in general we find ourselves on a field that is not very far away, "said the boss of the FFF.
Noël Le Graët did not want to "(s') commit to the sanctions" to come, "which are not decided by the Federation".
Neymar, "an exceptional player" who has "excesses"
Noël Le Graët also gave his opinion on Neymar, "an exceptional player" who can have "excesses".
"He is an exceptional and fabulous player. He has excesses like the other day (he was sent off during PSG-OM). When he is not in great shape and he does not succeed in everything, he perhaps a little too much contestation. But everyone has to admit that this player brings a lot to the championship. "