"We were not at his orders": Albert Gemmrich, member of the Comex, defends the management of Le Graët at the FFF

Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin, with Jacques Vendroux 6:31 p.m., March 01, 2023, modified at 6:37 p.m., March 01, 2023

It is a page that has turned to the French Football Federation (FFF).

Its president, Noël Le Graët, finally resigned on Tuesday, after months of controversy concluded by a damning audit report for the one who cut his teeth as president of the Football League from 1991 to 2000. Initially made up of 13 members, the Executive Committee (Comex) now only has 11. Among them, Albert Gemmrich, also president of the Grand-Est League, returned, in Europe 1 Sport ,

this crisis that French football is going through.

"It was a very difficult moment, very hard for all the members of the Comex but also for French football. We were in a crisis which we tried to manage as best as possible", analyzes the former striker of the Girondins de Bordeaux, before continuing: "This week was very hard. I asked myself a lot of questions with my colleagues from the Comex. We have no room for error, we are at the service of the clubs."

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"A Wise Decision"

Despite this resignation of the president of "3F", Albert Gemmrich still wanted to praise the general results of the former mayor of Guingamp: "French football has been doing well for ten years but this crisis has made us think and I think that the decision to stop Noël Le Graët is a wise, thoughtful decision and I think he no longer had the courage to continue either", he declared at the microphone of Jacques Vendroux in Europe 1 

.

The departure of Noël Le Graët did not lead to any resignations from the Comex, apart from that of Jamel Sandjak.

A situation that challenges since the members of the Comex were elected on the same list as the former president of the FFF.

But Albert Gemmrich denies it and says he is "straight in his boots".

I am at the service of the Federation, I am at the service of the licensees.

Quitting never crossed my mind.

When I read here and there that the Comex is a recording chamber, I cannot accept it insofar as all the points on the agenda are studied by the services and by the elected officials concerned. “, justified the president of the Grand-Est League.

For Albert Gemmrich, the actions and accusations against Noël Le Graët in no way concern the other members of the Comex.

The omnipotence of the resigning president of the FFF is, according to him, only fiction: "We were not under the orders of Noël Le Graët. We are collectively in agreement on almost all points and if we are not no agreement there is debate", related the member of the Executive Committee of the FFF.

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Waiting for the Federal Assembly 

The departure of the former mayor of Guingamp led to the appointment of a new interim president.

It is Vice-President Philippe Diallo who now occupies this position, at least until the Federal Assembly which is to be held on June 10.

"Philippe Diallo, whom we got to know and who is an intelligent person, has the ability to lead the Federation and more if affinity", wanted to reassure Albert Gemmrich.

And the members of the Comex are now unanimous, "it will be more collegial than what was planned before".

During the Federal Assembly on June 10, two new names will then be proposed by the eleven remaining members of the Comex.

But in recent days, several officials have mentioned the "calculations" of part of the amateur world with a view to dismissing the executive committee.

This calendar remains threatened by a possible twist, as Albert Gemmrich explained in 

: “What can happen now is that a convocation can be undertaken by a voter for the General Assembly. There may then be a dismissal."

The initial mandate of Noël Le Graët to end in December 2024, it will thus be necessary to wait for this moment and the new elections of the Comex to hope for a wind of renewal blowing on the "3F".