Noël Le Graët finally gave in and resigned on Tuesday, February 28, from the presidency of the French Football Federation (FFF), 13 days after the communication of a damning audit report for him, commissioned by the Ministry of Sports. .

But the former president of the FFF is now counterattacking and accusing the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, of having "lied" on the accusations of sexual harassment against him.

"I have never harassed anyone, morally or sexually," he told L'Équipe newspaper.

"I contest the report of the Ministry of Sports, my lawyers will do so through all the legal channels at their disposal", continued Noël Le Graët in this interview with the sports daily.

Leaving after more than eleven years of reign tarnished by these accusations, the former president of the FFF announced through his lawyer his intention to seek legal "cancellation" of the audit report commissioned by the Minister of Sports and of "sue for defamation".

"We are going to sue her for defamation before the Court of Justice of the Republic" (CJR), her lawyer, Thierry Marembert, said in the program C à vous on France 5, accusing the minister of having "lied" on the content of the audit report of the General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research (IGESR).

"The mission was the subject of numerous political interference, in particular from the Minister of Sports who violated her obligation of impartiality", reacted Le Graët in an interview with the daily Le Monde, where he denounces an "incredible hype" and a "well-organized political-media cabal".

Sexual harassment 

The IGESR inspectors considered in this report that Le Graët "no longer has the necessary legitimacy to administer and represent French football", taking into account in particular his "inappropriate behavior (...) vis-à-vis lives of women". 

Targeted since mid-January by a preliminary investigation for moral and sexual harassment, Le Graët was categorical with Le Monde on these accusations: "There is no complaint against me and I did not attack anyone."

The 81-year-old French football "Menhir", president of the League from 1991 to 2000 then of the FFF since 2011, was complimented by his peers on the FFF's Executive Committee on his resignation on Tuesday.        

>> To read also: PORTRAIT Noël Le Graët resigns, end of career at the FFF

"A Great Leader"

"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 act in the interim, at least until the Federal Assembly on 10 June.

>> To read also: Diallo, Platini, Keller… Who to succeed Noël Le Graët in the event of final departure?

The release of Noël Le Graët was accompanied by tributes for the "sporting and economic record" of the leader, who is credited with the recovery of the FFF after the World Cup-2010 scandal in South Africa. 

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

The Minister of Sports had meanwhile estimated earlier that the leader had taken by resigning "the right decision for the FFF and for himself", in a statement sent to AFP.

The FFF denounced "a disproportionate denigration of the body" and regretted a "lack of real contradictory procedure".

Direction FIFA

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 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 obviously does not intend to retire: he clarified to Le Monde his intention to bounce back to Fifa as "right arm" of President Gianni Infantino in Paris.

A function he has held since January 2022, but in which he says he wants to invest.

With AFP

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