Football: Noël Le Graët, under pressure, plays his future before the Comex of the FFF

Yohan Tritz with AFP 09:36, January 11, 2023

Under pressure after his controversial remarks on Zinedine Zidane and the dissemination of a testimony on his sexist behavior, Noël Le Graët will have to explain himself on Wednesday before the Executive Committee of the FFF, a potentially crucial meeting for his future at the head of the 'instance.

This convocation of the "government" of the French Football Federation, decided by a weakened president, is supposed to allow him to respond to various questions and internal criticisms, but also to take the pulse of his close guard.

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The Comex, scheduled for 11 a.m. at the headquarters on boulevard de Grenelle in Paris, will be an opportunity for the 81-year-old leader, in office since 2011, to discuss several hot topics, such as the recent extension of coach Didier Deschamps, his statements controversial towards the icon Zidane and the audit mission launched by the Ministry of Sports, for which Le Graët was heard on Tuesday. 

Trouble is piling up indeed for the former socialist mayor of Guingamp.

And the members of the decision-making body of the Federation (14 including the president) had little taste for the last episodes which seriously damage the image of the institution and cast doubt on the ability of its boss to go after his third and final full term, which is due to expire in December 2024. 

disrespectful exit

The Executive Committee did not appreciate learning on Saturday of the renewal of Deschamps at the head of the Blues until 2026 in the middle of the General Assembly, like the other participants, a subject which had not been discussed during its meeting, the day before.

The disrespectful exit of Le Graët towards Zizou, Sunday on RMC, also ignited French football and aroused many indignant reactions.

The Breton apologized Monday, via a press release sent to AFP, but he will again have to answer to the Comex. 

The testimony of agent Sonia Souid, accusing him directly of repeated advances, only overwhelmed the octogenarian president a little more while his management, as well as that of his general manager Florence Hardouin, and its supposed sexist behavior, particularly with former employees, is the subject of an audit and control mission commissioned by the Minister of Sports.

The conclusions of this audit are expected at the end of January, but the first elements have already leaked.

France Inter thus revealed that "several women" had "denounced (...) the attitude of Noël Le Graët towards them", which was confirmed to AFP by a source familiar with the matter.

According to public radio, a former executive "showed the inspectors text messages and WhatsApp messages" which "are certainly not illegal but (...) raise questions given the hierarchical link".

Explosive background

It is in this explosive context that the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, had very harsh words towards Le Graët, Monday, during a press conference where she pointed to successive "exits from the road" and called on the Comex of the FFF to "take its responsibilities".

The political power has no way to dismiss the president of the Federation, FIFA being very finicky about the independence of its member associations.

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The ball is therefore in the Comex court, the vast majority of whose members come from the list that Le Graët presented before his last re-election, in March 2021. However, for some of them, the situation of their leader is now untenable.

According to the regulations, only an extraordinary Federal Assembly, convened by a quarter of the executive committee, can vote for the dismissal of the president. 

In the event of Le Graët's departure, it is the vice-president of the body, Philippe Diallo, who would be promoted to interim president before the Executive Committee nominates a candidate from among its members.

This must then be confirmed by the Federal Assembly, whose next meeting is scheduled for June.