Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin 7:50 p.m., January 10, 2023

The crisis continues within the French Football Federation.

After the controversial outing of Noël Le Graët on Zinédine Zidane, the Executive Committee of the FFF, also known as "Comex", is to meet on Wednesday morning to decide on the fate of the current president.

But what is the real role of this body?

The president of the French Football Federation Noël Le Graët convened the "Comex" of the FFF on Wednesday morning for an emergency meeting following the controversial remarks of the former mayor of Guingamp on Zinédine Zidane.

Other themes will be discussed there, such as the audit mission around the management of the Federation, the extension of Didier Deschamps and the accusations of sexual harassment of which Noël Le Graët is the target.

The "Comex" is the abbreviation of the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation.

This body must rule "on all problems of greater interest to football and on all cases not provided for in the statutes or regulations."

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What is his role ?

The role of the "Comex" is to direct, manage, administer and supervise all the activities of the FFF and French football.

The "Comex" is supposed to "promote an action plan in the interest of high-level and amateur French football."

Its members have the power to decide to call an extraordinary general meeting at any time.

It is then that the presidential mandate can be denounced.

But for this general meeting to be convened, it must be requested by at least a quarter of its members: that is four minimum.

Once these conditions are met, the extraordinary meeting is convened and a vote decides the fate of the president.

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The members of the "Comex"

14 members make up this "Comex".

Among them, 12 elected officials and 2 so-called "by right" (the president of the Professional Football League and that of the Amateur Football League).

Here is the current list of people who make up this General Assembly: Noël Le Graët (president of the FFF since 2011), Philippe Diallo (deputy vice-president of the FFF), Laura Georges (general secretary), Aline Riera (general treasurer), Jean-Michel Aulas (president of the Lyon club since 1987), Éric Borghini (specialist in matters relating to arbitration), Albert Gemmrich (president of the Grand Est League), Hélène Schrub (specialist in matters relating to law and to the economy, Marc Keller, Philippe Lafrique (in charge of relations with the districts and the development of futsal), Pascal Parent (president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes League),

This Executive Committee cannot so easily dismiss Noël Le Graët, whose term as head of the FFF ends in 2024. But he can call a vote to ask the president to resign.

In the event of a vote of no confidence, the president would then be in a minority.

It is then Philippe Diallo, in his capacity as vice-president, who would then ensure the interim at the head of the body until the end of the mandate, and new elections.

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Pressure from the Minister of Sports

In conflict with Noël Le Graët, the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera cannot lay off the president of the Federation.

Technically, the political power does not have the possibility of dismissing the president of the FFF, which would also provoke the ire of the International Federation (Fifa) which prohibits any state intervention.

But the Minister can nevertheless put pressure on the Executive Committee, and it is done.

Monday evening, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra clearly asked the Comex of the FFF to act.

It remains to be seen whether, on Wednesday morning, the members of the "Comex" will go in the direction of the minister.