June 28 – Jean-Pierre Escalettes (pictured) has resigned as President of the French Football Federation (FFF) in the aftermath of the French national team’s disastrous performance at the World Cup that was a national embarrassment.
Escalettes’ resignation comes only a month after he led France’s successful bid to host Euro 2016.
“I clearly accept my responsibility,” the 75-year-old Escalettes said in a statement.
“My decision is essentially dictated by my will to preserve and facilitate the evolution of an institution I have served with passion for several decades.
“I will help analyse the reasons behind the fiasco of the French team’s performance in South Africa.
“I shall testify in front of my colleagues on Friday (July 2).”
He had held the top post at the FFF since 2005.
In the last two years, Escalettes, a former student at Bristol University, had come under tremendous criticism for keeping coach Raymond Domenech after Les Bleus’ poor performance at Euro 2008 and a poor World Cup qualifying campaign.
The French Government will investigate the national team’s collapse in South Africa, where it earned one point in three games.
Off-the-field problems were a national embarrassment.
Nicolas Anelka was sent home for not apologising after allegedly swearing at Domenech, and the French players then boycotted a public training session in response to Anelka’s expulsion.
Players complained about the pre-tournament preparations, the quality of the training sessions, their isolation at a luxury resort on South Africa’s southern coast.
“We can only note the disaster with a French team where immature bullies order frightened children, with a helpless coach without any authority, a French soccer federation at bay,” said Roselyne Bachelot, the French Minister of Health, Youth and Sports.
“That’s the reason why the Government has decided to take all of its responsibilities by first conducting a profound analysis, an external audit, because those who have failed cannot conduct this analysis.”
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